4 DAILY RITUALS TO MANAGE STRESS AND STAY LEAN

START THE DAY WITH PROTEINS AND FATS:

This is hands down the best food combination for breakfast. The combination of animal proteins (chicken, turkey, bison, grass-fed steak, fish) with healthy fats (nuts, seeds, nut/seeds butter, avocado, organic grass fed butter, fish oil) has a positive impact on your hormones and brain.

Clients always tell us they have more energy in the morning within 3 days of doing this breakfast consistently.  After a week or two it is common to see the following effects:

• Getting leaner around the waist

• Not depending on coffee or stimulants to feel alert

• Having the energy to train harder in the morning or earlier in the day

• Increased libido

• Increase in lean muscle

• Reduced body fat %

• Losing inches around the waist, love handles

• Significant improvements in blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar

• Less or no anxiety / depression

• Better grades in school and productivity at work

GAIN PERSPECTIVE:

 Something we need to understand about stress is that is isn’t the person or situation or thing that is stressing us. It is how we perceive it.  More often than not, it is the lack of knowledge that stresses us – “how do I deal with this?”

One of the most effective ways to gain perspective is to read. Success leaves clues. There are numerous people who have done what you want to do or have dealt with what you are going through. Read about their point of view and how it helped them manage the stress. Even if it isn’t the right solution for you, there is a sense of empowerment in knowing that there are ways to deal with your situation.

I like to read in the morning for 15-20 minutes as well as before bed. In the morning, my mind is ready to work, ready to accept information. This is when I read a book relating to my skills and business.

Before bed, after writing my SUCCESS LIST and GRATITUDE LOG,  I am ready to ‘upload’ new perspectives. This is a great time for me to read books on personal growth.

KEEP A GRATITUDE LOG:  

This is a very simple yet extremely effective tool to wind down. It is proven to help sleep deeper by activating the right side of your brain (this side is more dominant in serotonin; a neurotransmitter associated with sleep and moods).

30 minutes before bed,  I write down 5 things I am grateful for that day. This gives me an opportunity to reflect on the positive people and experiences that day. It could be getting a new client or just eating all my meals on time so that I can get leaner. This daily practice trains the mind to always seek the positive. And it is a well-known fact that we attract into our lives, the things that are most dominant in our minds.

CREATE SUCCESS LISTS:

This is a tool I learned from the book THE ONE THING. I used to write a check list every day of things I needed to complete that day. It helped me not waste time and get things done but

1) it kept me BUSY, not PRODUCTIVE

2) I felt overwhelmed looking at all the things that needed to get done

Unknowingly, I was adding more stress to my life; not progressing and feeling like I didn’t have enough time.

Now I decide the one most important task to complete that day. The one which makes the biggest impact on my work, fitness, finances, etc (one for each). Majority of my time and focus goes into that task in that particular moment.

Then if necessary, I write the next couple tasks for that day based on their priority and urgency. So now I have a smaller list of tasks i SHOULD do to move forward, rather than an overwhelming list of things i COULD do.

Depending on your schedule and nature of work, you can do this list before bed or in the morning.

There you go! 4 rituals to manage stress and stay lean. We guarantee you will see results within a week. And they will compound the more consistent you are.