Contents
Introduction
Life is full of situations and events that test our patience. Whether it be relationship, financial, or family struggles. Stress is our body’s natural reaction to pressure. When we are faced with difficult situations, or when we feel a loss of control over our circumstances, stress creeps up on us.
Everybody responds to stress differently. We may lash out at our friends and loved ones, drink alcohol more often, lose sleep, or become ill. Stress has very real physical health consequences.
Chronic stress increases your risk for health conditions like hypertension, stroke, and heart attack. Reducing your stress levels is beneficial for both your physical and mental health.
Below are 10 ways to ease stress and reduce your risk of stress related health conditions.
Exercise
Getting active is one of the quickest ways to boost your mood and ease a troubled mind.
Doing any sort of physical activity increases the production of “feel good” endorphins and hormones. These “feel good” chemicals are natural mood enhancers that increase your sense of wellbeing.
Exercise can also help you quiet your mind. Walking, for example, is an excellent tool for problem solving. It gives you an excuse to get out of the house and think through your problems instead of impulsively reacting.
Or if you want to forget your problems altogether, exercise gives you something else to focus on. You’ll be more concerned with your bodily movements (such as trying to follow along with a Zumba class) than whatever problems are currently stressing you out.
Plus, you’ll burn calories and improve your fitness while you’re at it.
Exercises like walking, jogging, running, dancing, or playing sports are excellent ways to de-stress.
Nix Alcohol
While stressful situations seem like the best excuse to drink alcohol (if there ever is any), doing so may only make stress worse.
Alcohol is a depressant that impairs cognitive function when you drink even a small amount. Drinking alcohol lowers your inhibitions and can impair your judgement.
For many people, this mind-numbing effect is why they turn to alcohol in stressful situations. Drinking a glass of wine after a hard day at work takes the edge off and helps you forget your problems for a while. But drinking too much alcohol too often has the opposite effect on stress levels.
Overindulging in alcohol causes hangovers, which can cause anxiety and make stress worse. It’s a vicious cycle of drinking to de-stress, which leads to more stress, which leads to drinking more often.
While it may be tempting to hit happy hour every day during a stressful period in your life, reconsider. In the long run, alcohol is bad for both your health and your stress levels.
Meditate
Meditation is an ancient practice used for quieting the mind and increasing self-awareness.
It’s been shown to help improve focus, decrease depression and anxiety, and reduce stress levels.
Meditation involves the act of quieting your mind and refocusing your thoughts. Instead of allowing your thoughts to run rampant through your mind, meditation teaches you to control them. You do this through daily practice, training your mind to focus on certain thoughts or using visualization techniques.
Meditation can instill a sense of calm and wellbeing during and after practice.
To do it, find a quiet spot where you can sit uninterrupted for at least 10 minutes. Sit comfortably and close your eyes. Try to focus your mind on a single thought or visualization. Whenever your mind wanders from this thought or visualization, consciously bring your thoughts back to your meditation.
With practice, training your thoughts will become easier.
Be More Social
Stress puts a damper on our mood and may cause some of us to self-isolate.
While we all need some alone time, too much isolation isn’t good for you. Humans are social creatures. We need good people around us to thrive.
If you’re under a lot of stress lately, call up some friends and schedule a hangout. Being around people you know, and love will take your mind off of your stressful situation.
You’ll be able to talk to other people and release some of the burden you’re feeling. You’ll also get a chance to relax and laugh with the people who love you most.
Don’t forget that you have friends in times of trouble.
Learn To Say No
When we’ve got a lot on our plate it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.
There’s only so much time we have in the day to get tasks done. It’s our fear of not completing these tasks that causes us distress.
The sheer workload we put on ourselves is exhausting.
If you’re a people pleaser, you find it difficult to say “no.” Even at the detriment of your own wellbeing. You don’t want to disappoint anyone and so you take on more than you can handle.
But if pleasing others is wreaking havoc and distress on your mental and physical wellbeing, it’s time to change.
Learn to tell others “No.” Not every problem is yours to fix. You can’t do everything, and you shouldn’t have to.
Those who truly care about you will understand if you need to take time for yourself. People who don’t understand are likely not people you want in your life anyhow.
Take back control of your circumstances and focus on what you want to do.
Laugh
Laughter is life’s natural medicine for unhappiness.
Watching a funny movie or comedy special gets you out of your head. It’s an escape from reality that brightens your mood.
Laughter itself has physical health benefits. Studies show that the act of laughing decreases stress hormones like cortisol and epinephrine.
At the same time, it produces mood lifting endorphins and antibodies that strengthen the immune system. Instead of hitting the bottle after a stressful day at work, hit a comedy club. You’ll get some laughs as well as social interaction.
Get More Sleep
When you’re in a stressful state of mind, it’s common to have difficulty sleeping. Anxious thoughts racing through your mind can keep you up into the late hours of the night.
Not getting enough sleep is a drag on both your physical and mental health.
When you sleep, your body does most of its repair work. Not getting enough sleep interferes with your body’s ability to repair and protect against viruses and pathogens. Thus, not enough sleep makes you more prone to illness.
Lack of sleep can also affect your energy level throughout the day as well as your mood, concentration, and basic functioning. All of which can make stressful situations appear worse.
Aim to get a full 8-hours each night if you can. Try making your bedroom more conducive for sleeping.
Consider installing blackout curtains, adjust the temperature (cooler temperatures are best for sleeping), invest in comfy sheets, or turn on relaxing music.
The more sleep you can get, the better.
Start A Journal
Journaling can be both a meditative and stress relieving practice.
Keeping a journal allows you to write down your thoughts privately. It acts as a physical release for any thoughts, problems, or concerns you may be holding inside of you.
Think of journaling like writing a grocery list. You write a grocery list, so you don’t forget what to pick up at the store once you’re there.
If you don’t write that list, it takes you more effort to constantly think about what you need. Once you write the list, however, you no longer need to worry about it.
Journaling about your problems works in much the same way. It gives you an outlet for expressing yourself.
Writing down your thoughts can also help you better process them. They won’t be a jumbled mess in your brain anymore. You can think about them and see them more clearly once they’re down on paper.
Practice Self Care
The saying “work hard, play hard” suggests that if you put in enough work, you should enjoy yourself afterward.
However, many of us get so caught up in “working hard” that we forget about enjoying life.
While there are certainly tasks that must be completed, you can’t be expected to work around the clock.
Working hard without ever taking a break not only leads to stress, but also burnout. Your body and mental health can only withstand so much pressure before it forces you to take a break in the form of illness or injury.
Burnout only sets you back more from completing your tasks, aggravating your stress more.
Avoid burnout by taking time for yourself doing things you enjoy. Prioritize your health and wellbeing by making time for workouts and massages. Set up regular spa sessions or simply indulge in your guilty pleasure television series.
Taking care of yourself is just as necessary as taking care of others.
Get Professional Help
If stress is taking a serious toll on your health and wellbeing, consider seeing a professional therapist.
Sometimes our problems are bigger than what we can handle on our own. There’s no shame in admitting that you are going through a rough time, and you shouldn’t be expected to deal with your distress on your own.
A professional therapist can help you work through your problems. They can help you identify your stressors and teach you better coping skills.
Seeing a therapist may be a good idea if you are feeling increasingly overwhelmed with your troubles or are using unhealthy mechanisms (like drugs and alcohol) to cope.
The Takeaway
Stress is a natural part of life that we all experience from time to time.
While stress is often viewed as negative, it’s essential for growth. We cannot grow or learn without navigating through our problems.
Stress is uncomfortable but it is often this discomfort that makes us stronger.
Reducing your stress levels reduces your risk of negative health consequences. It also puts you in a better mindset to solve your problems.
Don’t let stress over temporary problems stop you from enjoying a full and happy life. Learn how to relieve stress in a way that’s beneficial to your mind and body.
Featured Image Credit: Photo by Omid Armin on Unsplash
References
https://www.addictioncenter.com/alcohol/is-alcohol-a-depressant/
https://www.verywellmind.com/the-stress-management-and-health-benefits-of-laughter-3145084
0 Comments