It’s that super dee duper time of year again: Tax Season. 

If you’re like many people, you feel increased stress around April 15. Tensions can run high from the pressure of getting the forms filed on time, or coming up with the funds to pay your (hopefully not too big) tax bill. 

You owe it to yourself to keep your stress under control as much as possible. When your body is subjected to ongoing stress, unhealthy changes occur at the chemical level, and these changes can lead to food cravings and weight gain.

How does your body react to stress?When you experience stress, your body releases a hormone called cortisol. In small amounts, cortisol does not present a problem. But when the stress is chronic, such as during the weeks surrounding tax season, the concentration of cortisol in your body stays elevated with undesirable results. 

For example, you will crave foods that will give you quick energy, such as candy bars and potato chips. Arguably tasty, but the presence of cortisol will cause many of these extra calories to be stored as abdominal fat.

You may also find it hard to eat in moderation while stressed because cortisol can interfere with the chemicals in your body controlling appetite.

Now for the good news…While you can never get away from all stress (nor would you want to), there are several strategies you can implement to keep it under control, thus tempering the effects on your body.  Consider the following tips to outsmart stress in your life during tax season.
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• Exercise (Bet you didn’t know I was going to suggest this!) You can reduce cortisol levels in your body by exercising just thirty minutes each day. To make the most of your workout time, try intervals. Alternating between lower and higher intensity periods of exertion allows you to achieve an overall more challenging workout than exercising at a consistent pace.
• Eat Well  (Surprise again!) During times of stress, fuel your body intelligently. Be intentional about eating nutrient rich foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean protein, and nuts. Eating these foods can help maintain normal blood sugar levels, and you will be less likely to give in to the cravings caused by cortisol.
• Don’t skimp on sleep  (This is basically the Holy Trinity of Health) By getting 7-9 hours of sleep each night, you can reduce your cortisol level by more than half of that of people who get less than six hours. You really can sleep away your stress!
• Identify your stress  Generalized anxiety can be paralyzing. Take the time to sort out exactly what is causing you to feel stressed. Rather than saying, “My taxes are causing me so much stress,” figure out the specifics. Perhaps you are stressed because you can’t find a form you need, or you’re trying to do your taxes alone without the skills that you need to pull it off. Avoid letting overwhelm take over. Once you pinpoint exactly where the stress is coming from, you can take steps to take care of the problem.
• Make time to relax  To effectively manage your stress, taking time to unwind is not a luxury; it is a necessity. Find something that makes you laugh and smile, get a massage or just breathe deeply. Your mind has a profound impact on your body. Even a 15 minute bout of quiet time can do wonders for your mental state.

 
Use these stress-busting tips to get you through the 2019 tax season unscathed! 

Looking aheadWe’ve all heard the definition of insanity is repeating the same thing expecting a different result. If you find yourself stressed about taxes EVERY SINGLE YEAR, here are a few things you can do to stop the madness.

Begin forming a plan to reduce the stress of next year’s tax time. Decide where you will keep the necessary paper work throughout the year, gather phone numbers and addresses you will need, check with your tax preparer to see if your withholdings are optimal, and start a list of notations you will need when tax day rolls around again. Make sure this is the last year that Tax Day causes you anxiety!

What do you do to relieve stress in your life? I’m always interested in new stress-busting tips! Leave a comment below.

Aaannnddd GO!