Posted by It’s no secret that our modern life is filled with stress triggers, ranging from traffic to Facebook pressure to overbooked and crowded schedules. The kinds that stress that impacts us every day include physical stress due to overworking as well as mental stress from trying to take on too many things, emotional stress from loneliness, and many more.
Many of us are comfortable with living at high levels of stress and believe this is “just the way things are,” constant stress and anxiety can affect your health and wellbeing.
Sleep disorders, heart disease and depression, ulcers, and many other health problems have been associated with excessive stress levels. Which makes managing stress more crucial than ever. Are you unsure of how to keep stress under control? Check out these top 7 Strategies to reduce stress.
- Make a Timeout: The signs of stress can vary between individuals. It could be headaches or severe insomnia, as well as irritation, feelings of overwhelmingness, or an overreaction to minor annoying things. If you observe your symptoms of stress, stop and take some time out. Alk around or meditate, or even play music. Even if you only have a few minute’s breaks. It can assist in clearing your mind and reducing your anxiety levels at the moment.
- Breathe Deeply: If you are unable to remove yourself from a stressful circumstance, for example, the need to deliver a speech or presentation, and you’re stressed, taking deep breaths is the best alternative. Breaths that are slow and deep transmit a signal to the brain to tell it that it’s time for you to slow down, and trigger your body’s relaxation reaction. Your heart rate slows as your muscles relax and your blood pressure drops. Daily breathing exercises can reduce anxiety and stress. It also gives you the capacity to deal with when you are in stressful situations.
- Exercise Regularly: Physical activity can combat stress in many ways. It releases endorphins which are chemicals that make you feel good in the brain. They are natural painkillers that give you feelings of happiness and well-being. Exercise helps us get away from our heads and into our bodies and allows us to take a step back from the pressure and focus on something other than ourselves. In addition, physical exercise decreases stress and enhances sleep, which results in an overall stress reduction. There is no need to be a long time in the gym to reap the benefits. Even an hour of exercise will provide stress relief.
- Sleep Enough: Sleep problems can be due to high-stress levels. However, the reverse is the case. Stress can be triggered or worsened due to lack of sleep. As Per the Recent Research conducted by America that says that people who get less than 8 hours of sleep are more likely to be stressed, anxious, and irritable as compared to others. The importance of putting sleep first is a vital aspect of keeping stress levels minimal.
- Say No: This is so far the easiest method to reduce your stress. . Being aware of the fact that you can be patient with the task at hand lets you take a moment to focus on the task at hand at the moment rather than hurrying through the next task. Making space is often about making boundaries and refusing to take on additional responsibilities such as obligations, commitments, or even social gatherings. It can be difficult to say no particularly in the present and so you should try to respond to inquiries by saying “let me look at my calendar”, or “Let me think about it and get back to you.” so you will know whether you should say yes or not. It could make you feel overwhelmed or too committed before you decide to respond.
- Eat healthily: Believe it or not, food can help combat stress. Foods that are rich in vitamin C, as well as Omega-3 fats, can reduce cortisol and adrenaline. The B vitamins in avocados as well as tryptophan, an amino acid found in turkeys both reduce anxiety and increase feelings of peace. The restriction of your intake of refined sugar, caffeine, and foods with high sodium levels can also help reduce stress.
Limit Alchohol Consumption: While it helps soothe your nerves by having one or two drinks after an exhausting day, prolonged consumption of alcohol can intensify the stress-related effects. Studies have proven that prolonged alcohol consumption can affect the body’s capability to “bounce back” from stressful circumstances, and can trigger an emotional stress response. Alcohol use over a long period also increases tolerance, which can lead to drinking disorders that cause other stressors too. Meditation, exercise, yoga, along other ways of stress relief can be beneficial in the short as well as the long term.