Stress reduction methods include a good diet, frequent exercise, and counseling.
I believe that we might all benefit from a bit less stress in our lives. There is more than enough stress to go around between regular work stress, maintaining relationships, negotiating social events, and managing the kids. Fortunately, if you put your mind to it, there are strategies to reduce your stress levels.
Adam Borland, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist, discusses how stress develops and offers helpful strategies for controlling it before it becomes out of control.
What is stress?
Your body’s reaction to a demand or challenge is stress. Everyone experiences stress, which can be brought on by a variety of situations ranging from little inconveniences to significant life changes like divorce or job loss. Physical symptoms like an increased heart rate and blood pressure, thoughts and ideas about the stressful event, and emotions like dread and rage are all parts of the stress response.
Stress can arise from positive changes in your life, such as earning a promotion at work or having a new baby, even though we frequently associate it with negative events, according to Dr. Borland.
How can stress be managed in a healthy way?
Stress has an important function in helping us react swiftly to threats and stay safe. Long-term stress exposure, however, may result in increased physical health issues or mental health issues including anxiety and depression.
According to a substantial body of evidence, having more stress interferes with your ability to handle physical sickness, says Dr. Borland. While stress is impossible to completely eliminate, you may try to manage it in ways that will improve your ability to recover.
1. Enhance your health by what you eat and drink.
Some people turn to excessive eating or drinking in an effort to decompress. Although these acts may appear to reduce stress in the short term, they may fact increase it. Stress effects can be exacerbated by caffeine as well. While eating a balanced, healthy diet might assist in reducing stress.
2. Regular exercise
Exercise has been demonstrated to be a highly effective stress reliever in addition to its positive effects on physical health. Set realistic goals for yourself and think about non-competitive aerobic activity, weightlifting, or movement practices like yoga or Tai Chi. Endorphins are organic chemicals that naturally make you feel better and keep a happy attitude. It has been demonstrated that aerobic activity releases endorphins.
3. Give up using nicotine and tobacco products
Nicotine is frequently described as a stress reliever by those who use it. Nevertheless, nicotine actually causes your body to experience more stress since it raises physical arousal while decreasing blood flow and respiration. Smoking won’t help if you have ongoing stress or bodily pains because it might exacerbate chronic pain.
4. Researching and using relaxation techniques
Everyday relaxation helps you manage stress and shield your body from its negative consequences. Deep breathing, guided visualization, progressive muscle relaxation, and mindfulness meditation are just a few of the methods you can use. There are numerous websites and mobile apps that offer instructions on these methods. Many are accessible without cost, however some do need purchases.
5. Minimize stress-inducing factors
If you’re like most people, you probably have too many obligations and not enough free time. These requirements, for the most part, are ones we chose. Yet, you may make more time by using time-management techniques like prioritizing, pacing yourself, defining priorities, and making time for self-care.
6. Evaluate your principles and uphold them.
No matter how hectic your life is, you’ll feel better the more your actions align with your convictions. Before selecting your activities, consider your values.
Dr. Borland advises us to take part in activities that are consistent with our values and speak to us personally in light of the demanding expectations and obligations we shoulder every day.
7. Be assertive
Saying “no” to requests for your time and energy that will put you under excessive stress is acceptable. You don’t always have to live up to other people’s expectations.
8. Have reasonable expectations and goals
Realizing you can’t succeed in everything you try at once is also acceptable and beneficial. Consider the things you can influence, and concentrate on accepting the things you can’t.
9. Promote your own interests
Remember your strengths while you’re feeling overburdened. There are techniques you can use to develop a strong feeling of self-worth.
10. Examine biofeedback.
This behavioral strategy teaches you how to manage stress by monitoring your heart rate, muscle tension, and other vital signs while you try to unwind. It is employed to regain control over specific biological processes that lead to stress and discomfort. You can use biofeedback to help you understand how your body reacts to stress and how to manage with it better. Many people can use biofeedback to end an attack of a headache, such as a migraine, if it starts off gradually.
Ask your healthcare practitioner for further details or any additional recommendations they may have if you’re interested in any of these methods. Counseling can frequently assist you in identifying stress sources that might not even be immediately apparent.
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