In times of Corona, it is essential to support one’s immune system, whether by taking vitamin D or other means. Yet one big factor in weakening of the immune system is stress. Humans cannot and should not live entirely without stress, but excessive stress is bad for the immune system and the body as such. What role it plays in our body will certainly interest us in more detail in a later article. But today we would like to give you 5 tips against too much stress.
1. Sufficient sleep of good quality
Everyone is certainly aware of how important sufficient sleep is for the body. It helps with physical as well as mental regeneration. Nevertheless, it is often not easy to get enough sleep, especially in times of great uncertainty and lack of balance. So here are a few tips on how you can improve the quality of your sleep:
Probably the most important factor is the length and time of your sleep. An adult usually needs 6-8 hours of sleep. It is more important to get the same amount of sleep every night than to get a lot. In addition, the hours before midnight are especially important for your regeneration. So try and get to bed before midnight if possible.
There are several things you can do to improve the quality of your sleep. Firstly, it is good to air out the bedroom again before going to bed. A well-ventilated, cool (16-18 degrees) bedroom offers the best conditions. In addition, all lights should be avoided. The darker the room, the better. If possible, you should also avoid looking at bright screens for 2 hours before going to bed. The last factor that you can easily influence is the noise level. If you live next to a street or have poorly insulated walls, it may be advisable to sleep with earplugs. All this provides the best conditions for a quiet and restful sleep.
2. Balance through meditation
Meditation has enjoyed increasing popularity in our culture since the seventies. What was considered hippie mumbo jumbo in the beginning is increasingly supported by renowned studies that confirm the many benefits of the practice. Above all, it helps to reduce stress or influence the body’s stress response.
You don’t have to spend a lot of money. Many apps like Headspace or Calm can help you get started with guided meditation. From exercises to help you fall asleep, short 5-minute breaks to longer focused meditations, you can find it all there.
3. Balance through exercise
Equally important for the body’s ability to relieve stress well is sufficient exercise. One option where you also have a lot of choice is yoga, which even helps with anxiety and depression. (This can under no circumstances replace professional counselling by a psychologist and should only be considered as an accompanying measure).
Again, no expensive equipment is necessary and there are thousands of videos on YouTube on various yoga practices, both for young and old. For those who think of 30 minutes of headstands, meditation in the splits and wild contortions, fear not. Yoga is doable for everyone and can be individually adapted to one’s own flexibility and fitness. If you are unsure, you can also organise professional help in a course. Which brings us to the next point.
4. Personal balance through contacts
In times of home offices and curfews, it is becoming increasingly difficult to create a personal balance for oneself. Yet it is enormously important for us humans to have enough contacts. Loneliness is not only bad for the soul, it also increases stress and makes us more susceptible to illness. In this day and age of the internet, it is relatively easy to communicate from home.
We would like to take this opportunity to encourage you to pick up the phone again or start a video call. Be it with friends or family – a regular exchange is important for our general well-being.
Those who find it difficult to get up and actively get in touch can join a regular community. Whether it’s an online yoga course, the book club or another troupe. The offer increases from day to day and creates the possibility for us not to lose touch even in times of unwanted but necessary isolation.
5. Natural remedies against stress
Those who want to further support the body in its stress reaction can also resort to natural remedies. There are hundreds of remedies available. We would therefore only like to discuss 1-2 of them here.
Besides many superfoods, drinking green tea is becoming increasingly popular. An infusion of the Camellia sinensis plant has many benefits for the body. The interesting aspect for us here is its influence on mood. The linked Nature article says, “a cup of tea can lift mood, improve concentration and perhaps even prevent depression and dementia.” Drinking tea lowers the level of the stress hormone cortisol in the body.
Another superfood is the blue-green algae spirulina. It is also said to have various positive influences on the body. Its effect on stress-related disorders is probably the most interesting for us. Spirulina is easy to take either as a capsule or powder.
Those who do not want to deal with the various active ingredients in detail also have the option of using herbal combinations. Supplements such as StressControl combine the advantages of different natural active ingredients and rely on the ideal combination of the different ingredients.
*PPC as a stress killer
Last but not least, there is a note on which there are unfortunately no studies yet, but which we hear about again and again in experience reports (see e.g. below). Polyenyl-phosphatidylcholine, which we have already mentioned many times, also seems to make many users much more resilient to everyday stress. We explain the effectiveness through – and this is reported by many users – the increase of one’s own energy level through PPC, and less through the fact that the stress symptoms are directly acted upon.
Concluding words
There are many things you can do to lower your stress level and support your immune system. You rarely have to spend expensive money or make huge changes in your lifestyle. Often, small adjustments to your sleeping habits, a little supplement in the morning, a short phone call or a relaxing yoga session in the evening can help. Try implementing one or two of these and let us know what your experiences are.