When life feels chaotic, it’s easy to get caught in the vicious cycle of stress and worry. In some cases, the culprit behind those anxious thoughts is out of your control—but how you manage your response can make all the difference. Your first step? Troubleshooting your daily routine.
You see, your lifestyle habits literally program your physiology, so when your days start and end with intention, you train your nervous system to downshift, explains Debra Muth, N.D., a naturopathic doctor and founder of Serenity Health Care Center. “If your routine is built on rushing, skipping meals, scrolling before bed, and living on caffeine, you’re essentially training your body to live in fight-or-flight mode,” she says. “The nervous system craves rhythm, so when you build a healthy, predictable routine, that tells the body it’s safe.”
If you’re feeling super-stressed, make the following tweaks to your daily routine to help calm your nerves asap.
- ABOUT OUR EXPERTS: Debra Muth, N.D., is a naturopathic doctor and founder of Serenity Health Care Center. Anat Joseph, L.C.S.W., is a licensed clinical social worker, psychoanalyst, and founder of MyPsychotherapy.
Swap Morning Phone Use For Some Sunlight
Diving into notifications and emails first thing in the morning can overwhelm your brain and increase stress, so Muth recommends resisting the urge to scroll the second you open your eyes. Instead, spend 10 to 20 minutes of your morning offline and outside. “Morning sunlight resets your circadian rhythm and boosts serotonin production, which helps regulate mood, emotion, and stress and later converts to melatonin to promote better sleep,” she explains. “Even 10 minutes outside grounds the body and signals the brain to relax.”
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Aside from easing you into a calmer, more stress-free day, research suggests exposure to sunlight increases vitamin D levels, which can enhance mood and general feelings of wellness from A.M. to P.M.
Swap That Second Cup Of Coffee For Green Tea
In moderation, coffee offers a slew of potential health perks. However, in excess, the brew can spike cortisol (a stress hormone) and blood sugar levels, fueling anxiety and leading to a later crash that leaves you feeling even more on edge, Muth says. Research shows that too much coffee can also block adenosine, a neurotransmitter that promotes relaxation, and trigger a slew of undesirable side effects like jitters, increased heart rate, anxiety, and insomnia. The end result: worsening stress.
Look forward to your morning cup of joe? There’s no need to ditch it entirely, says Anat Joseph, L.C.S.W., a licensed clinical social worker, psychoanalyst, and founder of MyPsychotherapy. Instead, she recommends swapping out your second cup for a less stimulating caffeine source, such as green tea or matcha, which contain l-theanine, an amino acid that calms the brain, smooths caffeine’s impact, and weakens stress-related symptoms.
Swap High-Carb Breakfasts For High-Protein Ones
Although sugary foods like cereal, pastries, and pancakes topped with syrup are considered classic breakfast items, they rapidly spike—and then crash—blood sugar levels, negatively impacting energy, mood, anxiety, and cognitive function, Muth says. As a result, you’re much better off prioritizing a high-protein breakfast, which lowers cortisol levels, supports feel-good neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, and keeps your brain functioning at tip-top shape to get you through the day, she says. This is important any day, but especially vital if you’re already feeling frazzled, overwhelmed, or anxious.
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Your goal: Include at least 15 to 30 grams of protein in your morning meal. Try Greek yogurt with berries and flaxseed, whole-grain toast with avocado, egg, and cottage cheese, or a bowl of oatmeal with nut butter and a scoop of your favorite protein powder.
Swap Rushing From Task To Task for Micro-Pauses
When you’re stressed, it can be hard to slow down—but no matter how long your to-do list is, taking a moment to re-center yourself here and there can completely shift your energy. “Between patients, emails, or meetings, take one minute to breathe deeply (in through your nose, out through your mouth) and feel your feet on the ground,” Muth says.
It sounds simple, but these mindful micro-pauses activate the vagus nerve (which carries signals between your brain, heart, and digestive system to control mood, speech, breathing, digestion, and other bodily functions), shifting you out of fight-or-flight and into rest-and-digest (when your parasympathetic nervous system relaxes your body after periods of stress or danger), explains Muth.
“It’s all about creating small, repeatable moments that remind your body you’re safe,” Joseph agrees. Use micro-pauses to transition from one task to the next and watch your entire system settle.
Swap Evening Screentime For Something Tech-Free
We’ve been told time and time again to put away the tech in the hour-plus before hitting the hay. After all, the blue light emitted from cell phones, computers, and TVs is the enemy of sleep—and a lack of sleep is the enemy of stress relief. “Blue light suppresses melatonin production, delaying deep sleep,” Muth explains. “Sleep is when your body detoxifies stress hormones and resets inflammation pathways.” (It’s also worth noting that excessive screen time is linked to stress, regardless of when you’re logging it.)
For now, challenge yourself to go screen-free for at least an hour before bed, suggests Joseph. Instead, brew yourself a mug of chamomile or lemon balm tea and cozy up with a good book or your journal. Or, take a hot bath, listen to an audiobook, or stretch. Not only do these calming practices regulate cortisol, but they set the stage for deeper relaxation and better sleep. You can get back to your latest Hulu show when life feels less on fire.