The reasons underlying why Covid stress is worse than ordinary stress was analysed in Part I of this article.

Here we examine three ways to feel less stressed and overwhelmed during this challenging time.

Mindfulness

The practice of mindfulness provides the brain with the opportunity to shift away from the ‘past-future’ scenarios our brain is engaged in, to a mental space of calm using a connection to the now, the present moment.

Mindfulness is defined as: ‘a psychological state in which one focuses attention on events occurring in the present moment’ or as ‘moment-by-moment awareness.’

There is a rapidly growing body of evidence that suggests that mindfulness can help us manage stress more effectively although there is not a large body of evidence to date about whether it has been useful during this pandemic.

However, a 2019 randomized-controlled trial found that a 6-week mindfulness-training course was an effective tool that participants could use to manage chronic stress.

The researchers compared a 6-week mindfulness-training course to a single day course among 60 employees. The 6-week course provided well-controlled evidence that both perceived and momentary stress was reduced among employees.

In addition, participants reported that their coping efficacy increased, and they experienced a ‘buffering’ effect against negative mood states. In other words, they became more stress resilient.

An ancient strategy to manage modern stress may provide our overwhelmed brains with the ability to stem the incessant ‘past-future’ chatter and rumination that chronic stress induces.

There is also some evidence to suggest that practicing mindfulness is also helpful in relation to the automatic desire to eat more sweet and fatty foods that many people experience when chronically stressed.

Nutrient Dense Foods

Chronic stress is expensive from a nutritional perspective because adrenalin and cortisol require nutrients to be synthesized.

From a survival perspective, it makes sense that nutrients are used for the synthesis of these hormones first, versus synthsising those that support us feeling calm and at ease.

Recent research suggests that people who are stressed eat less fruit and vegetables than those that are not stressed. Research also suggests that certain foods make people more susceptible to mood disorders like anxiety and depression.

Nutrients such as vitamin C, magnesium, zinc, as well as iron, and specific B vitamins are required to synthesise stress hormones.

They’re the same ones required to synthesise the neurotransmitters that allow us to feel sleepy, go to sleep and stay asleep, and to help us feel restful and relaxed generally.

They’re also used in the energy production process, which explains why chronic stress leads to extreme exhaustion.

Unfortunately, we gravitate towards processed, and sugary or salty, and fatty foods, when we are stressed because we have learned that they offer a temporary emotional respite from stress.

These foods accomplish this via stimulating a surge of serotonin and dopamine, along with the release of endogenous opioids, to provide temporary emotional comfort, especially among women.

Simple nutrition tips to support stress resiliency

Use nutrient dense, colourful produce to create delicious meals - it’s not all about salads. Think about rich stews, pilafs, pastas, soups and roasted vegetables that contain a variety of fresh, fiber-filled produce. Then top the meal with a generous drizzle of good fats and oils
Use good fats and natural forms of sweetness to create delicious treats and desserts and if you do eat something very sweet make sure you also eat good fat with it. This slows the blood glucose spike somewhat. And if you’re used to drinking artificially sweetened drinks, rather create delicious, sparkling drinks with carbonated water and small quantities of highly flavored, natural fruit juices like pomegranate and berry.
Have your vitamin and mineral status checked using a blood test before supplementing with any nutrients you think you may be deficient in. Chronic stress can deplete some nutrients but supplementing indiscriminately is not wise. Although the spend on stress-management dietary supplements is estimated to reach US$16+ billion by 2025, there is little robust evidence to support the use of the majority of these over-the-counter products.

Click this link for more ideas about eating to support brain health.

Interestingly, mindfulness and eating well may support each other. A review that examined mindfulness training in relation to emotional eating suggests it’s an effective intervention.

Sleep To De-Stress

Unfortunately, poor sleep often accompanies chronic stress. And restorative sleep helps us cope with stress, so we can find ourselves in a vicious cycle of poor sleep and less capacity to cope with stress.

Nature ranks survival above sleep, so responding to stress first, and sleep second, becomes our brain and body’s default position when stress becomes chronic. Being deficient in the right nutrients adds fuel to the fire.

Apart from focusing on eating a stress resilient diet, there are a few simple things you can do starting today that will improve your sleep:

Watch a comedian or a funny TV show in the evening and leave at least an hour gap between this activity and sleep. The news makes us feel even more overwhelmed with uncertainty so if you feel a need to see what’s going on in the world rather watch a few minutes of the news at midday. Two of my favorite comedians currently are Bill Bailey https://billbailey.co.uk/ and Carl Barron https://www.carlbarron.com/. Research supports this approach because laughter stimulates stress reduction.
Spend 15 minutes making a list of what you need to accomplish the next day and one thing you will do to feel calm and at peace. You don’t want this list running around in your head during the night. Just knowing your thoughts exist on paper can be a soothing influence that you can remind yourself of if you wake up in the night. Some research suggests a to-do list is better at improving sleep versus writing down what you’ve accomplished during the day.
Don’t eat late at night but don’t go to sleep hungry either. If you are feeling very stressed your blood glucose may be dipping and spiking during the day, and may also dip during the night, which can wake you (nocturnal hypoglycemia.) Simply have a light snack, like a fibre-filled cracker and some nut butter or a date stuffed with the same, or a dried fig. Some forms of supplemental magnesium may be useful to support improved sleep too.
Don’t read anything too exciting before bed. Some distraction may be useful when you know how to use it and just before sleep may be one of those times.

Also keep in mind that there is a difference between feeling tired and sleepy – make sure you feel sleepy when you turn your bedside light off. And if you wake up during the night, some researchers suggest reading very boring information, like the warranty for your washing machine or fridge, which is sure to put you to sleep again quickly.

Click this link for more sleep tips.

In conclusion, there are many things in our lives we cannot control, and this pandemic is certainly one of them. Control what you can via these suggestions, and you will begin to feel calmer generally, and more capable of controlling other aspects of your life.

Although some research suggests that stress can make us more resilient, we need to consciously control what we can to feel that benefit.

Clarity of thought can help us find solutions to the new challenges we’re facing. And help us avoid all the negative and long-reaching effects that chronic stress has on both our brain and body.

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