Do you look after yourself, as well as you look after your car?

Do you look after yourself, as well as you look after your car?

You would never expect your car to perform if you did not provide it with what the manufacturer has advised, like regular service, the right type of fuel and the right amount of water. Yet do you expect yourself to perform at a peak, in times of stress without implementing what your manufacturer has advised.

During times of stress, people often get trapped in a spiral of negative thinking, that gets from bad to worse. Thoughts like “ I cannot do it”, “ What idiots they are” etc take hold, rather than more positive ones that are focused on finding solutions. One of the reasons for that is that the brain is not receiving enough oxygen.  So spending a minute and a half taking  ten deep slow breaths where breathing in, is as important as breathing out deeply, can calm the mind and bring in more helpful  thinking. During stressful periods, time is a pressured, so people find it difficult to imagine that they can spend 90 seconds focusing on their breathing. However if you consider the benefits of the clearer thinking you will achieve, the 90 seconds are well worth it.

Apart from negative thinking the mind is likely to lose concentration, during stressful days. Our mind may jump from one thing to another, unable to finish anything. Doctors believe that if our body is missing even one litre of water, concentration is affected. People forget to pour themselves a glass of water, when they are under pressure. How often have we heard that we need eight glasses of water, and yet most people do not bother. Can you imagine what would happen to your car if you did not provide it with water. It is equally serious if you deprive your body of the necessary water, especially in times when you expect it to perform at a peak The lack of water tires you out and affects your concentration.

Concentration is an energy-intensive function, requiring the release of glucose, in the blood. That explains the chocolate binges that some go through. However chocolate plays havoc with your system, therefore it is much better, to take in natural forms of sugar found in fruit, that release a slower, steadier stream of energy. So remember to have that apple by your side for a quick snack. Indeed watching what you eat in general will have an impact on your stress tolerance, as some foods actually add to the stress you experience. Junk food for example with all its additives can make you feel more irritable. The last thing you need on those high tension days.

At the end of a high tension day, how do you release all that stress. Some people say, “I do not have the time for exercise, I do not have the time for hobbies, I do not have the time to sit and talk.” What would happen if you carried on driving your car up a steep slope, if it were overheating? You would probably cause it to burn. It is the same with human beings. We can suffer from burn-out too, if we do not create times for ourselves where we are allowing our bodies to relax. Find out what relaxes you and make time for it.

By looking aftter ourselves in small ways, we can improve our ability to perform.