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BITESIZE | Daily Habits to Reduce Stress and Anxiety | Dr Tara Swart #313

Nov 18, 2022 10m 48s 13 insights
We are living in the middle of a stress epidemic - the World Health Organization calls stress ‘the health epidemic of the twenty-first century’.  But what can we do about it? Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my weekly podcast for your mind, body, and heart.  Each week I’ll be featuring inspirational stories and practical tips from some of my former guests. Today’s clip is from episode 116 of the podcast with Dr. Tara Swart – neuroscientist, executive coach, and author of the best-selling book ‘The Source’. In this clip, she explains how to build micro-habits into your day that can increase your resilience to stress. Show notes and the full podcast are available at drchatterjee.com/116 Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/3oAKmxi. For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com.   Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjee Follow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjee Follow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk
Actionable Insights

1. Cultivate Positive Intent for Habits

Choose habits that you genuinely enjoy or find deeply meaningful, as positive intention and enjoyment produce endorphins, creating a motivational pathway and increasing the likelihood and benefit of the activity.

2. Embed Micro Habits for Resilience

Focus on small, consistent actions that make your brain and body more capable of coping with stress, even if you feel too busy for larger commitments.

3. Embrace Tiny Habits Daily

Adopt tiny habits, even as short as one or two minutes, to consistently engage in a practice and build the habit, taking pressure off yourself on difficult days.

4. Practice Head, Heart, Gut Harmony

To gain deeper insight, ask a question to your brain for a logical answer, then to your heart for an emotional answer (with deep breathing), and finally to your belly for an intuitive answer (with deep breathing), to align your head, heart, and gut.

5. Prioritize Morning Self-Care

Schedule important self-care activities for first thing in the morning to ensure they get done before daily distractions interfere.

6. Commit to Five-Minute Self-Care

Dedicate at least five minutes daily to self-care, such as journaling or a quick workout, to consistently signal to your body that you prioritize your well-being and strength.

7. Practice Body Gratitude

Perform a ‘body gratitude’ exercise while showering or moisturizing, moving from head to toe and thanking each body part for its function, which helps you feel good and combines the benefits of moisturizing with gratitude.

8. Leave Yoga Mat Out

Keep your yoga mat visible and accessible, even if you only lie on it for five minutes, to establish a consistent daily practice and signal self-care.

9. Practice Self-Love Via Micro Habits

Engage in small self-care actions, like lying on a yoga mat for five minutes, to reinforce the message that you care for yourself and prioritize your well-being.

10. Identify Personal Stress Reducers

Find and consistently engage in activities that personally reduce your stress levels, whether it’s taking a bath, doing yoga, or another preferred method.

11. Take Magnesium Salt Baths

Take a bath with magnesium salts to help reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol, especially when feeling stressed.

12. Increase Water Intake

Pay attention to drinking more water, as systemic dryness (dry skin, dry hair, bowel issues) can be a symptom of high stress levels.

13. Proactive Self-Care Supply Management

Proactively manage and replenish supplies for your self-care routines (e.g., ordering magnesium salts) as this act itself is a form of self-care that supports you on difficult days.