Entrepreneurs often work long hours while facing the potential consequences of failure. As a result, high levels of stress are common among business owners.
Dallas-based fitness professional Eugene Pallisco wants entrepreneurs to understand just how damaging stress can be and learn three things they can do to keep it in check.
Understanding Stress
To know how to best handle lifestyle stress, it’s important to understand what stress is and how it works. And it all starts with cortisol.
Cortisol is often known as the “stress hormone” because your body releases it during times of stress. It affects nearly every system in your body, including your:
- Immune system
- Nervous system
- Respiratory system
- Reproductive system
- Cardiovascular system
- Musculoskeletal system
- Integumentary system
The hormone impacts your metabolism, ability to suppress inflammation, blood pressure, sleep cycles, and the release of glucose from your liver.
Pallisco recommends consulting with your medical provider, but he takes a tripartite approach to manage cortisol, and the adverse effects stress can have.
- An Anti-Inflammatory Diet
Anti-inflammatory foods help reduce cortisol levels in the body. Foods that reduce inflammation directly affect lowering total cortisol levels and preventing problematic spikes.
Vitamin B
Foods that contain high amounts of B vitamins, especially B12, can help your body metabolize cortisol. Some of these include:
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Beef
- Organ meats
- Nutritional yeast
- Certain fortified cereals
B12 and other B vitamins promote a healthy nervous system. When your nervous system is functioning properly, your body doesn’t produce as much cortisol.
Omega-3
Omega-3 fatty acids are also excellent for reducing inflammation and keeping your cortisol levels under control. Some popular omega-3-rich foods are:
- Avocados
- Seeds, such as flax and chia seeds
- Olive oil
- Seafood like mackerel, oysters, salmon, and tuna
- Nuts
Another convenient way to supplement omega-3 in your body is to consume fish oil capsules.
- A Well-Regulated Sleep Schedule
Cortisol can also affect your rest, making falling or staying asleep difficult.
Your body’s melatonin (the hormone that makes you sleepy) and cortisol levels usually follow a regulated 24-hour pattern known as the circadian rhythm. High levels of cortisol and stress can derail your sleep patterns, resulting in:
- Fatigue
- Irritation
- Moodiness
- Weight gain
- Brain fog
- Decreased ability to concentrate
To fight the effects of cortisol, you should commit to a solid sleep routine, which includes going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, putting electronic devices away an hour before bed, and keeping your bedroom cool and dark.
- Consistent Exercise
A dedicated exercise routine is one of the best ways to combat stress and cortisol.
Exercise not only reduces cortisol levels in your body but also stimulates your body to produce endorphins. Endorphin production can help foster relaxation, helping you feel better physically and mentally while promoting better sleep.
Managing Stress with Eugene Pallisco
Eugene Pallisco has an insider’s perspective into the stressful lives of entrepreneurs because he’s one himself. As a fitness instructor and certified trainer in Dallas, Texas, Pallisco has had to learn the hard way how to regulate stress for improved health.
Since working with inspirational fitness mentors in high school, Pallisco has spent years refining his training philosophy for the betterment of others. After starting as a group fitness instructor, he expanded his experience by working directly with gym members as a personal trainer before launching his private training business in the fitness industry.
Whether through high-intensity, cardio, weightlifting, or sports-specific training, Eugene is committed to helping people find joy and freedom in movement.
