Tips for Successful Stress Management

Stress is a normal part of life; it’s part of being a human. And even high levels of stress from a job, school, illness, or death in the family is normal to an extent. Some stress can be beneficial to your health because it can help you to cope with serious situations that may arise. However, an abnormal amount of stress can take a toll on your health. Furthermore, chronic stress can cause several symptoms that can affect your overall well-being. Insomnia, anxiety, depression, irritability, and headaches are just some of the symptoms chronic stress can cause.

The Best Tips for Managing Stress

Being able to effectively manage stress and stressful situations is a vital part of a healthy mental and physical life.

The National Institute of Health says:

Effective techniques for stress management are varied. They typically include behaviors that improve physical health, such as nutrition and exercise, but may also incorporate strategies that improve cognitive and emotional functioning. The stress-reduction approach based on mindfulness practices has recently enjoyed an explosion of interest from a variety of healthcare and epidemiological researchers. The concept of mindfulness, which originates from practices of Buddhism, is defined as a focused awareness of one’s experience, and a purposeful and non-judgmental focus on the present moment. Structured interventions, such as the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program, provide participants with the opportunity to learn breathing meditation, body scanning techniques, and gentle, yoga-inspired physical exercises. (NIH)

There are various ways to manage stress, but one of the most effective ways is exercise. Exercise improves both physical and mental health. It helps to boost mood, improve sleep, and exercise stimulates your body to release several hormones, like endorphins and endocannabinoids, that help block pain. Exercise reduces anxiety and helps to improve depression as well.

Eating a healthy diet also helps to manage stress. A healthy diet helps to build up your immune system, lower your blood pressure, level your mood and can help lessen the effects of stress. Diets that are high in magnesium, vitamin c, and omega-3-fatty acids also helps to lessen the effects of stress on the body. Eating lots of lean protein, complex carbohydrates, and foods full of antioxidants will help you to stay healthy and protect your body from any damage chronic stress may cause.

Why is Stress Difficult to Handle?

One of the common side-effects of stress is insomnia, and not getting enough sleep can add to your stress level. It’s a vicious cycle of sleeplessness and stress. Improving your sleep habits and initiating good sleep hygiene can help break this cycle. Exercise improves sleep. Also, setting a sleep schedule, drinking less caffeine in the evening, turning the T.V. off, and avoiding looking at any electronics 30-60 minutes before bedtime can help.

Another effective way to manage stress is through relaxation techniques. Yoga, which is another form of exercise, meditation, and deep breathing exercises can be very effective. As stated above, the concept of mindfulness is also a good way to help reduce stress. Mindfulness incorporates relaxing, deep breathing, and focusing your mind on a peaceful place or place you enjoy, that relaxes you.

Support Networks and Groups for Stress Management

Connecting with people and talking about things that are on your mind is very helpful when it comes to stress; open up and express your feelings. Having a good support network and using talk therapy helps with depression, anxiety, and stress. Laughing with friends and family is another great way to relieve stress.

One of the last things we will discuss for stress management is behavior. How you manage behavior and respond to people, directly affects stress. Staying away from negative people is huge when it comes to dealing with stress. If you are someone that already struggles with anxiety and depression, the negativity of any kind will drag you down. Try not to overcommit yourself, ask for help, walk away from heated discussions, and/or listen to music or maybe a podcast as a distraction. If you are overly stressed about a particular situation or incident that may have happened, evaluate the problem. Is this something that you can directly control? If not, you have to learn to accept it and manage it the best way you can. Give yourself a break and some time to relax and recharge.

Who Can Help Me With Stress Management?

We can connect you with a life coach or therapist that specializes in stress management and developing healthy coping skills for reaching success. If you or someone you love is struggling with mental health disorders of any kind, our mental health experts are available to assist you around the clock. Voices of Mental Health has a standing passion for helping others achieve peace, serenity, and fulfillment. We will help you access top treatment centers with caring and supportive assistance. You don’t have to suffer any longer, call us today.