How to Manage Stress in College

by Ingredia USA | Nov 17, 2021 | Stress Management & Sleep Disorders

Stress is affecting teens more than ever before. Around 30% of teens admitted to feeling sad or depressed because of stress and 42% said they’re not doing enough when it comes to managing stress levels. If you’re in college, you’re not only juggling school work, but you might also be working part-time and trying to make important choices about your future. 

So what can you do to navigate these pivotal years?

You’ve come to the right place for help. Keep reading to learn tips on how to manage stress in college so you can focus on your work, graduate on time, and fully enjoy all that the college experience has to offer.  

Get More Sleep

Sure, college is a time for forming meaningful, lifelong friendships and staying out late, but sleep should also be a priority. That’s because sleep and stress go hand in hand. The less sleep you get, the more likely you are to be stressed. And, the more stressed you are, the harder it will be to get enough sleep.

While you don’t have to turn down every party invitation by any means, try to get at least 7 hours of sleep each night for the best results. If you struggle to get enough sleep, try setting a sleep schedule for yourself by aiming to go to bed at the same time each night. 

As you wind down, limit your screen time, as blue light can make it harder to fall asleep. You might also find that taking melatonin, a supplement of a hormone your body makes can help you get more restful sleep as well. Avoid taking sleeping pills, which can become habit-forming.

Prioritize Exercise

If you played sports growing up, you were probably active without even realizing it. Now that you’re in college, unless you’re an athlete, you may not be moving as much as you were used to. 

Exercising is a great outlet for stress, as it can help improve your overall mood and help you feel like the best version of yourself. Try to find a form of exercise that you enjoy that fits around your busy schedule, like running or yoga. 

If you struggle to find the time to exercise, remember that a little goes a long way. Even just taking the stairs instead of the elevator can help you move a bit more to aid in stress relief. 

Eat a Healthy Diet

It’s natural to indulge in delicious foods when you first get to college, but over time, eating only pizza and ice cream will only leave you feeling groggy and tired. Instead, make sure you get a balanced diet of whole grains, protein, fruits, and vegetables, with the occasional indulgence. 

Since dealing with stress can impact your immune system, make sure you eat immune-boosting foods like citrus, blueberries, and broccoli to help you feel your best and reduce the risk of illness. 

Don’t Be Afraid to Say No

College is an exciting time and you never want to feel like you’re missing out on experiences. However, if you’re not careful, you can have a full social calendar on top of your school work and job commitments. Over time, this can lead to high stress levels and burnout. 

Instead, be thoughtful about what you want to do and prioritize that over everything else. Instead of going to every social gathering, take time to make connections with the friends you care the most about. 

However, this doesn’t just apply to social activities. It’s ok to say no to other things too. Don’t feel pressured to take that extra course if you think it might make your work suffer in other classes. And don’t feel like you need to join every single study group. Do what you can and say no to the rest. 

Practice Mindfulness Through Meditation and Breathwork

One of the best stress management tips you can do is making time to be mindful each day. Take the time to meditate, even for just 5 to 10 minutes each day to help clear your mind and let the stress melt away. 

If you’re not sure how to begin meditating, look for online videos that guide you through a mindfulness session. There are also apps available that can help you combat specific aspects of stress through guided sessions. 

You can also try breathing exercises to help you stay calm when you start to feel overwhelmed or anxious. Sometimes doing nothing else but focusing on your breath is just what you need to refocus. By incorporating this into your daily routine, even just for a few minutes each night before you go to sleep, you’ll start to notice a difference. 

Unplug

Between taking online classes, working on school work, and connecting with friends, increased screentime is an inevitability for college students. That’s why it’s so important to take time to unplug occasionally. 

Reducing screentime can help you feel less stressed, so be mindful about how much time you’re spending on your phone, tablet, or computer. Most phones have a feature that tells you how much time you spend using them, and some have options where you can limit how much time you spend on certain apps. 

Remember that everything online will still be there when you come back, so there’s no need to spend every minute glued to a screen. 

Now You Know How to Manage Stress in College

After reading through these tips, we hope you have a better idea of how to manage stress in college so you can stay focused. As you start to feel the tension building in your shoulders, take a step back, remember these ideas, and take the time to practice stress management. Your body and your mind deserve it!

Learn even more about why it’s important to prioritize your physical and mental health by checking out this post. 

7 Ways to Reduce Work Stress

by Ingredia USA | Nov 9, 2021 | Stress Management & Sleep Disorders

Did you know 80% of people report that they feel stress from work at least sometimes? Some reports have indicated that 60% of people that call in sick are just suffering from work stress.
Managing stress is an important skill to learn because stress from work is a growing trend. Many jobs require their employees to work long hours. Staff doing the jobs of multiple people.

If you are nodding as you read this, you are likely to experience work stress, too. Keep reading to learn some tools for stress management.

Focus on Work Wellness to Minimize Work Stress
There are many small things that you can do to keep work stress to a minimum. You can reduce anxiety levels, too.

Not all workplaces allow for these things. If your office has rules that make it difficult for you to make it less stressful, consider putting together a proposal to allow employees to create a less stressful environment.

If your managers see that reducing stress at work is to their benefit, they may reconsider rules that prevent stress management techniques.

Stay hydrated to keep your brain active and increase the chances of managing stress better. When you are properly hydrated, you can handle problems better. Bring a water bottle and keep it on your desk

If there are not plants in the office, ask your employers if you can bring some in. Green plants improve the quality of the air. They also have a calming effect.

Minimize artificial light. Maximize natural light. Encourage everyone to open the blinds and let the sunshine in.

Work Friends Decrease Stress from Work
Work is less stressful when you get along with the people you work with. They don’t have to be your best friends. You just need to get along.

Team building exercises can encourage friendship and laughter. You can also organize activities outside of work like bowling, picnics, and group dinners.

If your work doesn’t have these activities already, be patient. Find a few people to get on board with reducing stress on the job. As others hear about the fun you are having, they will join in.
Other things you can do to help people create work friendships include having a mentorship program. You can also discourage the smartphone lunchroom by putting down your phone and starting conversations.

Live a Healthier Life to Manage Work Stress
When you are stressed, you may turn to high-fat, high-sugar snacks for comfort. These foods don’t help.

When you eat junk food, you feel tired and lethargic. Your brain feels like mush. That makes it difficult to focus and the stress increases.

A diet high in sugar can also lead to weight gain and high blood sugar. When you’re stressed, your insulin levels fall, increasing your cortisol levels which makes you crave junk food.

Lower insulin levels mean your blood sugar increase and your stress levels rise creating a cycle. Stress and blood sugar levels are correlated. Each one increases the other.

Plan for snacks. High fiber food like fruits and vegetables and complex carbohydrates can fill the need to eat. They also give you energy and help your brain work better.

Managing work stress through health choices is not only about what you put in your mouth. It’s also about what you do. Exercise is a great tool to minimize stress from work.

Life can be hectic though and it can be difficult to get to a gym or go for a run. You can exercise while you’re at work though.

Start a walking group during the lunch hour. Use coffee breaks to do some stretches at your desk. Have walking meetings where everyone walks and talks.

Organize for Better Stress Management
One of the biggest causes of work stress is too much work or too many types of work. If you don’t know what to do first because it is all important, you will feel more stressed.
To minimize stress because of workloads, you need to be organized. If you prioritize your work tasks, your objectives for the day will feel more clear.
Put tasks that get you closer to your end goals first. These are your priorities. Chose up to three tasks to prioritize each day.

Set deadlines to reduce work stress. When you know you need to complete a task by a certain time, you can focus on the most important tasks first.

Having a plan is a good tool for reducing stress. Find a planner system that works for you and utilize it each day.

Take Breaks, Lunches, and Vacations
If you are working through your breaks and lunches, stress is going to follow. Your brain needs time to relax. You need to be able to unwind during the day.
Take your breaks and your lunch hours. If you can, leave the office. Meet a friend for lunch.

If you can’t leave the building, utilize those work friendships you have been building. Take time to talk about something other than work.

Vacation time is your right. Employers will sometimes discourage you from taking it because it’s a busy time of the year or it’s just not the right time. Vacation time is your right though, so take it when you can.

Vacations don’t need to mean an expensive international trip. A relaxing vacation could just be spending time with family and loved ones. The key is to not think about work!

Be Proactive in Managing Stress
If you let it, work stress can take over your life. It can affect your family life, your physical health, and your mental health.

To minimize work stress, you need to take an active role in creating a healthier lifestyle.
Want to learn more about how you can maximize your health and minimize work stress? Learn more about us here.

7 Healthy Habits You Can Start Right Now

by Ingredia USA | Oct 10, 2021 | Stress Management & Sleep Disorders

A recent survey of Americans found that 71% of us rate our overall health and wellness as good (54%) or excellent (17%). The signs are that Americans are doing the main things well, like getting enough sleep and exercising regularly. However, it is also true that more than two-thirds of Americans are either overweight or obese.

So, while there is some contradiction in the state of America in terms of health and well-being, making beneficial changes to your lifestyle is easier than we think. Implementing healthy habits in our daily lifestyles can have wide-ranging benefits for our overall health.

In this blog post, we will look at seven healthy habits that you can start right now. As you will see, one of these to increase your daily intake of high-quality dairy ingredients, which is easy thanks to Ingredia.

1. Wake Up Early

People who wake up early are the envy of us all! Though it can be difficult to wake up early, after a few weeks you will have established a very beneficial habit. Waking up earlier gives you more time to plan and organize your day, as well as having more time to eat a healthy breakfast, exercise, and practice yoga.

A more regular sleeping routine, where your body knows that it will awaken at the same time each day, can lead to better overall sleep. Waking up feeling energized is a wonderful start to the day.

2. Increase Your Water Consumption

If there is one easy habit that we can all start doing right now, it’s drinking more water. Drinking more water helps to aid digestion, normalize blood pressure, carry nutrients and oxygen to our cells, flush bacteria from our bladders, and so much more.

Given that 60% of our bodies are water, it makes sense to regularly replenish the fluids in our bodies. Two liters should be the minimum amount of water we all consume daily.

3. Consume Plenty of Dairy Products

Research shows us that a worrying percentage of Americans do not consume enough dairy foods. A staggering 88% of us do not get the required amount of dairy in our everyday diet.

Dairy products are essential to our health and well-being, especially when it comes to building and maintaining strong bones and muscles. Dairy products like milk produce high amounts of essential nutrients like calcium, Vitamin D, and potassium.

At Ingredia, we create higher-quality dairy ingredients through cutting-edge technologies and innovative solutions. That way, you will reap more of the benefits of consuming milk and other dairy products in an ethical and sustainable way.

4. Make Exercise a Daily Habit

In these modern times, we are increasingly living more sedentary lifestyles where exercise is often overlooked. However, the health benefits of regular physical activity are many. Exercising can reduce our risk of heart attacks, help to manage our weight, lower our blood cholesterol level, lower the risk of developing osteoporosis, and much more.

It’s worth pointing out that you don’t have to train like a professional athlete to be healthy, either. As little as 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day can have huge health benefits. Going for a brisk walk at lunchtime, for example, is a great means of getting in some exercise each day.

5. Spend Time Away From Screens

This is another point tied to our increasingly sedentary lifestyles. We spend much of our day looking at screens, be they TVs, computers, or mobile phones. Too much screen time each day can affect our sleep, result in obesity, depression, anxiety, and lead to neck and back problems.

Try and limit your use of screens when you don’t absolutely need them, like in the evenings after work. Read a book or spend time outside in nature and reap the benefits instead.

6. Swap Junk Food for Fruits and Nuts

Snaking on unhealthy foods is something that many of us do without even realizing. We may be working at our desk or watching TV on the couch and our hands will automatically go for a packet of crisps or a bar of chocolate.

Instead, stock up your kitchen with healthier snacks like fruits (apples and strawberries are great options) and nuts (almonds, pistachios, and hazelnuts to name just three). You’ll still be able to snack but you’ll be doing your body a favor with these healthy eating habits.

7. Get a Good Night’s Sleep

Let’s tie this whole list together with getting a good night’s sleep. Adults are advised to sleep between seven and nine hours, while teenagers and children need even more.

There are many benefits to getting a good night’s sleep. These include keeping your immune system strong, improving attention and concentration, looking after your emotional well-being, reducing stress, and keeping your heart healthy. So, do yourself a favor and make time to rest!

Make a Goal of Implementing These Important Healthy Habits

As you can see, there are myriad ways of improving your overall health by implementing healthy habits. From getting enough sleep to eating more dairy products and exercising daily, you can make important changes that your body will thank you for.

The best strategy is to start by implementing small changes in your daily routine, rather than trying to do much at once. Over time, you can gradually improve the number of healthy living habits you do each day.

Since 2009, Ingredia has been creating higher-quality dairy ingredients in the US. Our clinically-approved dairy ingredients provide all kinds of health and lifestyle benefits. With our products, you can boost immunity and digestive health, regulate blood sugar levels, and promote muscle and bone health.

Check out our activities here to discover the health benefits of dairy and learn more about why Ingredia is your partner in health.