We all experience stress at some stage in our life. It is a way for us to realise that something in our life is causing concern and affecting our thoughts and feelings. Stress is not always bad. Small doses help us perform under pressure and motivate us to do our best. Still, when you constantly run in emergency mode, your mind and body pay the price.
We all have stress at home, work, and on the road. Sometimes we feel stressed due to bad interaction with someone, too much workload, or everyday life hassles like getting stuck in traffic.
Chronic stress may keep you from feeling and doing your best mentally, physically and emotionally. But no one’s life is completely stress-free. According to healthcare experts at Click Pharmacy, these simple techniques will help you deal with stress.
1. Take a time out
You are not a toddler, but that doesn’t mean a timeout doesn’t apply when stressed. Stress may affect your emotions, behaviour, and physical and mental health. Like children, stress might make you irritable, short-tempered, and quickly upset.
Step away and focus on yourself for a few minutes when you start noticing that stress affects your feelings or behaviour. Do an activity of your choice, like listening to music or reading a book, or find a trusted colleague or friend with whom you can talk about how you’re feeling.
Timeouts don’t have to be reactive. Proactively build some me time into your weekly schedule, allowing yourself to do something enjoyable while looking after your health.
2. Exercise
Regular exercise helps reduce stress and improve symptoms of mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. It’s a cliché for a reason: exercise/activity prompts your body to release feel-good hormones like endorphins, which help you feel less stressed. Stress may also make you tense your muscles, which exercise might help you to relax. If you’re feeling stressed, consistently moving your body may help.
It doesn’t have to be a complete workout; walk around for 15 minutes, do 20 jumping jacks, sprint, or do 10-minute yoga.
Physical activity helps lessen stress levels and improve mood. At the same time, sedentary behaviour leads to increased stress, poor mood, and sleep disturbances.
3. Organise
Stress may kick in when you feel overpowered by the number of tasks you have to do or approaching deadlines. Try writing a to-do list or a time management strategy. It may help you focus on seeing each job to completion.
Write out everything you need to do and each step you need to take to complete each task. Prioritise what to do first and identify what you may leave for a later time or what you may assign to some other person. Be realistic about how much time you will take to complete each task. Build space into the schedule to reward yourself for completing each task.
4. Follow a healthy diet
Following a nutrient-rich diet and limiting ultra-processed foods may give your body the nutrients it needs for optimal health. It will lower the risk of deficiencies in nutrients that regulate stress. What you eat affects every aspect of your health, including your mental health.
Studies show that people who take ultra-processed foods andadded sugarare more prone to experience higher stress levels. Chronic stress may lead to overeating highly delicious foods, adversely affecting your overall health and mood.
Not eating sufficient nutrient-dense whole foods may increase the risk of deficiencies in nutrients vital for regulating stress and mood, like magnesium and B vitamins. Minimising the intake of highly processed foods and eating more whole foods like vegetables, fruits, beans, fish, nuts, and seeds can help ensure your body is adequately nourished. This, in turn, may improve your resilience to stress.
5. Practice Self-Care
Self-care is an integral part of stress management. A few simple strategies are taking a bath, yoga, lighting candles, and reading a good book. Setting time to practice self-care may help lessen your stress levels. Practical examples are:
- Lighting candles
- Going for a walk outside
- Taking a bath
- Preparing a healthy meal
- Reading a good book
- Exercising
- Stretching before bed
- Getting a massage
- Practising a hobby
- Using a diffuser with calming scents
- Practising yoga
People who engage in self-care report lower stress levels and improved quality of life. A lack of self-care is associated with a higher risk of stress and burnout. Taking time for yourself is essential for living a healthy life. This is essential for those who tend to be highly stressed, including nurses, doctors, teachers, and caretakers. Self-care doesn’t have to be elaborate or complicated. It simply means tending to your well-being and happiness.
Conclusion
While a little bit of stress is standard and may help you function more effectively during pressure times. Ongoing stress is terrible for yourphysical and mental health. From causing headaches and sleep loss to affecting hormonal function, blood pressure and relationships, there are many reasons why experts are warning of the ill effects of the current epidemic of stress on public health.
Minimising the stress of daily life as much as possible is vital for overall health. It is not a realistic goal to combat all stress. Proactively doing the above activities may help avoid unnecessary stress and handle it better when stress hits.