Diet and Exercise Plan
STEP 3
Begin to Eat Right!
I cannot tell you how important this step is. The goal of this step is to find a diet and exercise plan
that works well for you and one that you can stick with.
Foods have a huge impact on our body and minds. It's important to rid your body of excess sugar, fat,
caffeine, alcohol and unnecessary food chemicals such as MSG (monosodium-glutamate).
It is also important that you know there are foods that can help make a huge difference in how you feel.
To understand which food are best, be sure to learn more about the
stress diet.
Since it is not uncommon for people with chronic stress or anxiety to suffer with little to no appetite,
it would not be surprising if you are lacking important nutrients in your body.
As it is already, stress depletes the body of valuable nutrients, so you
want to be sure that you are supporting your body with vitamins and supplements if your diet is lacking in anyway.
You can learn more about what supplements are best for stress, anxiety, and depression by visiting
Natural Stress Relief for some practical guidelines.
Be sure to drink a lot of water. It has been said that you should be drinking at least half your body weight in ounces.
This means if you weigh 160 pounds, then you divide that in half , the answer would be 80 ounces of water. It is easier to drink
this amount if you are sipping it all throughout the day. Try to keep a water bottle with you as often as possible.
Water can help you focus better. It can also help your body rid itself of
built up toxins and improve your energy level.
Dehydration is sometimes responsible for many unpleasant physical symptoms such as dizziness, fogging thinking, fatigue, and many others.
Pick an Exercise Plan You Can Work With
It's important to get at least 20 minutes of solid aerobic or strength and toning exercises each day. These exercises
help to burn off excess adrenaline and they will also help you build
up your natural brain chemicals that are responsible for making you feel good.
They also exercise the heart and the muscles which leave you feeling more relaxed. To top it off, they help improve your memory
and focus too. Learn more about the
benefits of exercise.
Now is a good time to learn
progressive muscle relaxation methods or even
isometric exercises. These types of exercises, although
different from aerobic and strength exercises, have a profound effect on training your muscles to relax. If these exercises
are done enough, you can actually train yourself to relax them on command. Imagine that!
Step 3 Actions:
1. Work on changing your diet to include foods that will support your body during this time (Include
natural supplements if necessary).
2. Spend approx. 10-20 minutes each day on your choice of
isometric or
progressive muscle relaxation exercises.
3. Spend 20 minutes each day on aerobic or strength and toning exercises. These exercise the heart, as well as the muscles and they
also help burn excess adrenaline.
4. Write in a journal each day (preferably before bedtime). Don't pressure yourself, just write whatever comes to mind. Use the
Journal Entry Worksheet if you don't have a journal.
5. Do the
Positive Thought Replacement worksheet at least once a day. If your thoughts are running rampant and going through
a particularly hard time, it helps to do this worksheet as many times possible throughout the day. As silly as this feels,
it is very important that you do not skip this exercise.
6. If you are struggling with obsessive thinking, take the time each day to practice
visualization
exercises and thought stopping exercises.
7. When you get into a good routine with your diet and exercise plan, you can then move ahead
to
Step 4.
Do not move forward until you are ready!
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