In today’s fast-paced, hyper-connected world, chronic stress has evolved from an occasional reaction to a persistent health challenge, affecting everything from sleep quality to immune function. While lifestyle pillars like exercise and mindfulness are essential for mental well-being, many individuals are turning to targeted supplementation as a way to bridge the gap between environmental pressures and the body’s internal resilience. From ancient adaptogens that help the body "readjust" to tension, to essential vitamins and minerals that fuel our neurological pathways, supplements offer a biological toolkit for managing the modern stress response.
Get active:
Any form of physical activity can act as a stress reliever, no matter how fit or unfit you are. Physical activity increases the release of endorphins which helps to enhance your sense of wellbeing. Activities such as walking, jogging, gardening, house cleaning, biking, swimming or weight lifting can help to refocus your mind on your body's movements providing a good stress reliever.
Eat a healthy diet:
Incorporating a variety of fruit and vegetables and whole grains in your diet will help to provide essential nutrients for your body to absorb and utilize to provide support in stressful situations.
Avoid unhealthy habits:
Unhealthy habits such as alcohol consumption, smoking, overeating and using illegal substances are habits that can harm your health and should not be used as a coping mechanism to deal with stress.
Meditate:
Meditation can help to restore a sense of peace, calm and balance to your mind and provide stress relief. Guided meditation, guided imagery and visualization are some of the forms of meditation that can be practiced anywhere. Deep breathing is often a technique used in meditation to bring a sense of relaxation.
Laugh more:
A good sense of humour can lighten your mood and help you to feel better. Laughter aids in calming down your stress response and influencing positive changes within your body.
Connect with others:
Social connection with others can help to provide support and offer a distraction from current stressful issues. Being isolated when stressed is often the choice made but in the long term, this does not provide any benefit on your stress load.
Assert yourself:
Learning to say no and delegating work can help manage your stress load as it takes off the extra pressure of a busy schedule and allows you to plan better and prioritize your needs.
Try yoga:
Yoga involves controlled breathing exercises, which helps to achieve peacefulness of body and mind and provides relief from stress and anxiety. Hatha yoga is a good stress reliever as it is slower pace with easier movements.
Get enough sleep:
The quality and amount of sleep you get can affect your mood, energy level, concentration and overall functioning. Although too much stress can make it difficult to sleep, it is important to create a good sleeping routine that can help you to relax.
Keep a journal:
By keeping a journal and writing down your thoughts, it can help to release any built up emotions and reflect on how you feel, therefore providing a form of stress relief and comfort.
Get musical and be creative:
Listening to or playing music is a good stress reliever because it can provide a mental distraction, reduce muscle tension and decrease stress hormones. Other hobbies such as gardening, sewing and sketching etc., can also provide another focus other than stress.
Seek counselling:
If stress becomes too overwhelming to cope with (excessive worrying, trouble carrying out daily routines or meeting responsibilities at work, home or school) and self-help tools are not working, it is recommended to seek help from a trained professional such as professional counsellors or therapists who can help you identify sources of your stress and learn new coping tools.
Research on exercise and reducing stress has mainly focused on aerobic exercises. It has been found that people feel calmer and more relaxed when completing 20 to 30 minutes of aerobic exercise and this effect can last for several hours post exercise. Studies have shown that exercise improves the way the body handles stress because of changes in the hormone responses and neurotransmitters in the brain such as dopamine and serotonin that affect mood and behaviours. A recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise per week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity aerobic exercise per week can improve the way the body handles stress. Breaking exercise into two 10-15 minute sessions can also help combat stress throughout the day. Although further research regarding resistance training still needs to be done to confirm if it has a positive effect on reducing stress levels, resistance exercise can offer a time out from one's stressors. The recommendation is 2 to 3 days of resistance exercise to target all of the major muscle groups performed at a moderate intensity of 8 to 12 repetitions.
When a person suffers from long term or chronic stress, this can result in wear and tear on the body causing physical, emotional and behavioural symptoms to develop.
Physical symptoms include:
Aches and pains
Chest pain or a feeling like your heart is racing
Exhaustion or trouble sleeping
Headaches, dizziness or shaking
High blood pressure
Muscle tension or jaw clenching
Stomach or digestive problems
Trouble having sex
Weak immune system
Emotional symptoms include:
Anxiety or irritability
Depression
Panic attacks
Sadness
Cortisol, a hormone produced by the adrenal glands, is released when you are stressed. This hormone is responsible for regulating your metabolism and sends your body into fight-or-flight mode, temporarily pausing regular bodily functions and slowing your metabolism. High levels of cortisol can also cause cravings for sweet, fatty and salty foods making you more likely to snack on these high calorie foods which leads to weight gain. Excess cortisol levels also decrease testosterone production in the body which may cause a decrease in muscle mass and slow down the burning of calories.
Stress symptoms affect not only your body but your thoughts, feelings and behaviour. Common physical stress symptoms include headaches, an upset stomach, high blood pressure, chest pain, problems with sex and sleep. Emotional stress symptoms include depression, panic attacks, anxiety and worry. Stress that is not dealt with can also lead to many serious medical conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and diabetes.
Common stressors that can lead to high levels of stress include high pressure work environment and jobs, financial difficulties, overcommitting to family and work related responsibilities, conflicts at home or work and not taking time out to relax.
Stress can be classified as short term or long term stress depending on what changes occur in your life. Short term stress can last for a period of minutes to hours, while long term stress or chronic stress persists for several hours per day for weeks or months.
Foods high in B vitamins which can help with the metabolism of cortisol (beef, chicken, eggs, fortified cereal and nutritional yeast).
Foods high in omega 3 which helps to reduce inflammation, therefore also lowering cortisol levels (anchovies, chia seeds, mackerel, salmon, sardines and fresh tuna).
Magnesium rich foods which help to relax the body and mind, reducing inflammation and metabolizing cortisol in the body (avocados, bananas, broccoli, dark chocolate, pumpkin seeds and spinach).
Foods rich in protein contain amino acids that help produce key neurotransmitters in preventing and treating anxiety and depression (almonds, chicken breast, eggs, lean beef, lentils, peanuts, quinoa, tuna, salmon and shrimp).
It is believed that regulating the gut microbiome (good and bad bacteria in the gut) may ease anxiety as the brain and the gastrointestinal system are closely connected. Certain foods may help to regulate and promote good gut health (greek yoghurt, kefir, kimchi, kombucha and sauerkraut).
Ashwagandha is an evergreen shrub found in India, Africa and parts of the Middle East. This nutrient has been used in Ayurvedic medicine (traditional medicine system in India) to increase energy, reduce inflammation, pain and anxiety. Several clinical studies show that ashwagandha may help to relieve symptoms of stress, as it normalizes cortisol levels which decreases the stress response.
Fish oil is a dietary source of omega 3 fatty acids which your body needs for many functions from muscle activity to cell growth. Some studies have found that fish oil and omega-3 fatty acid supplements may lessen the effects of mental stress, such as increased heart rate and nervous activity.
Ginseng is a herb rich in antioxidants and effectively regulates the immune response and the hormonal changes due to stress, therefore maintaining homeostasis. It has also been found to prevent stress-associated physiological diseases.
Holy basil is a plant native to India and commonly used in Ayurveda, the traditional Indian medicine system. Studies suggest that holy basil extract may help to reduce symptoms of stress and anxiety, but more research is needed to determine if it is effective and safe for these conditions.
L-theanine, an amino acid found in black and green tea, may reduce stress responses without causing drowsiness according to a study. It has also been shown to reduce sleep quality problems and may be a suitable nutraceutical ingredient for improving mental conditions in a healthy population.
Passionflower and lemon balm act as anxiolytic herbs (a herb used to treat anxiety) and have been known to serve as a benefit for those suffering from insomnia. These herbs have a direct sedative effect on sleep and an additional benefit of reducing anxiety.
Research has revealed that the health of our gut and brain are intricately linked and approximately 90% of our serotonin (happy hormone) is produced in the gut. Our gut microbes play an important role in the production of serotonin. This is one connection between gut health and mood. Certain probiotics have been shown to lower levels of the "stress" hormone cortisol and measures of psychological distress such as depression and anger. The following probiotic strains found to support mood and wellbeing include Bifidobacterium longum 1714, Lactobacillus acidophilus Rosell-52, Bifidobacteria longum Rosell-175 and Lactobacillus casei Shirota. Studies have also shown that probiotics help to relieve psychological stress by alleviating negative emotions, reducing abnormal behaviours and improving cognitive function.
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