10 Tips to Reduce Stress
Rose May Pimentel in Tips and Advices
Jun 16, 2020 • 3 min Read
Feeling stressed? Stress is an unavoidable part of life. Too much untreated stress can cause potentially serious physical and mental health problems. That’s why it’s important to have effective stress relievers that can calm your mind and your body.
The good news is that in many cases, stress is manageable. Here are some useful tips from various health experts to help manage and reduce your stress levels:
1. Exercise. Studies have shown that exercise can relieve stress, reduce depression and improve your cognitive function. Exercise also releases endorphins, chemicals that trigger positive feelings.
2. Eat well. Maintaining the right diet is the key to reducing stress. Well-nourished bodies are better able to cope with the physical and emotional side effects of stress.
3. Improve your sleep schedule. Sleep is simply too important to shortchange and sacrifice. Improving your sleep schedule will go a long way in helping you reduce stress. Sleep affects your memory, judgment, and mood.
4. Tune in to your body regularly. Most people separate their physical selves from their mental selves. However, it can be useful to take a moment and check in with and mentally scan your body to understand how stress is affecting it.
5. Think positively. Become a positive thinker and to take more pleasure in your everyday interactions. Psychologists have shown that optimists and pessimists often face the same setbacks and challenges but the optimist copes with these in a better manner.
6. Laugh more. Laughing has been proven to reduce stress. Many physicians believe that humor can positively impact recovery from illnesses and surgeries. Studies have even shown that the very act of smiling can improve your mood and make you feel happier.
7. Practice deep breathing. Focusing on deepening your breath is one way to invoke the relaxation response to stress. Deep breathing encourages full oxygen exchange, meaning the trade of incoming fresh oxygen for outgoing carbon dioxide. This helps to slow the heartbeat and stabilize or even lower blood pressure.
8. Take time for relaxation. Make time to relax for at least an hour each day, especially in the morning and in the evening before bed. Write it into your planner so that you don’t end up skipping out on it. Everyone needs time to recharge their batteries.
9. Identify the causes of your stress. Before you can move forward, you need to be able to identify the causes of your stress. Take some time to be alone and get out a notepad or journal. List everything that may be contributing to your feelings of stress. Once you have a better sense of what is causing your stress, you can make changes that will help you cope with it.
10. Reflect with the help of others. You don’t have to deal with your stress alone. You’ll feel much better if you open up to a friend, family member, or even a professional. If you share your feelings, chances are that you’ll be able to get some helpful feedback and a fresh perspective on your problems. In addition, the very act of talking about your stress – saying the words out loud – might help you clarify what exactly it is that you are struggling with.
Managing stress is all about taking charge: taking charge of your thoughts, your emotions, your schedule, your environment, and the way you deal with problems. Think positive and stay healthy!
