Managing Longevity with a High-Stress Job

Stress lowers our longevity, and the way we make money is the most likely source of stress in our lives. People who undertake a myriad of responsibilities tend to bear a lot of physical and mental stress that catches up with them later. If you find yourself in this position, there are methods of mitigating the damage from stress so you can make it to retirement happy and healthy.

What’s a “High-Stress” Job?

You could consider any job that requires a long list of obligations and long hours a high-stress job. A California lawyer may be stressed from taking on lots of complex cases, or a McDonald's worker may be completely burnt out. Stress is relative to how one manages it, but some job positions are worse than others.

Proper Nutrition

Generally speaking, having good physical health will help you keep a sound mind in even the most stressful situations. Diet is the base of your well being, although there is a lot of misinformation.

Your local dietitian and naturopath would likely agree that a diet that mostly consists of nutrient-dense foods would reduce physical and mental stress. More importantly, removing acidic forming foods (like beer or steak) and refined carbohydrates would be the bare minimum to go for.

At the same time, not hitting minimum fat or protein goals can give you brain fog and a lack of sex hormones. This is especially a problem for vegans and vegetarians that are not very mindful at tracking macronutrients. Adding legumes, nuts, and seeds to one’s diet is an efficient way to mitigate this.

With meal planning services, nutrition tracking apps and online food deliveries, it’s easier than ever to keep up with your diet while at work.

Better Sleep Habits

You won’t have to look far to find studies that associate sleep with longevity and mental health. Even if you work long hours and bring work at home, you need to eventually find a means to set aside career-related stressors and get at least the minimum amount of sleep hours in.

If it comes down to needing medication to fall asleep, opt for using over-the-counter melatonin over prescription sleeping pills. It is a natural hormone that regulates the sleep cycle, so it will help prevent getting into unnatural sleeping patterns.

Get Some Sun

It probably isn’t news that being exposed to sunshine reduces depression and anxiety. Regular sunshine is important for both mental and physical health, assuming it’s done in a controlled manner. Unfortunately, being stuck in an office during the peak sunshine hours is the primary barrier.

Serotonin and melatonin are released when you are out in the sun, helping you regulate hormones related to mood and sleep. This is considered to be the major reason why people suffer from seasonal affective disorder.

An enormous amount of Vitamin D3 is also produced when the intense sun touches your skin. This is important for preventing bone-wasting diseases as you age.

If you have a lunch break during the afternoon, use this as your short window of opportunity to get sun exposure. If you have a private spot at home, you can get a full-body tan in a short period before rushing back to the office.

For areas with very little sunlight, you can also consider daily red light therapy. It doesn’t give many benefits in terms of Vitamin D3, but studies suggest it can help with mood and sleep.

Final Thoughts

Don’t let your job bring down your mood and health, but rather use it as a means to build stronger character and life management skills. Thanks to the internet and mobile applications, it should be easier to manage your time, meal planning and nutrition. Once you hit retirement, you should enjoy your final years rather than live in misery from the abuse you took from your stressful career path.