It’s normal for humans to experience stress every once in a while. Under normal circumstances, stress can motivate you to get tasks done quicker and more effectively. However, chronic stress can really hack away at your health — especially if you’re already struggling with conditions like liver disease or heart disease. Here are seven stress management tips that work.
Learning ways to effectively manage stress is key to elevating your overall quality of life. To help you do that, here are seven effective stress management tips that work for people.
Practice Self-Care
When responsibilities start to pile up, it’s not uncommon for people to put their personal needs on the back burner. This is especially true for people who are raising families on top of professional obligations.
While it can be tricky to prioritize when you have so many things on your plate, self-care is an important part of effective stress management. Not only does self-care boost your self-esteem and make you feel better about yourself, but it can also improve your emotional and mental health.
There are many ways you can go about caring for yourself. For instance, you may set aside a few hours every day to do something you love. One of the most popular ways people take care of themselves is through skin care. When you take care of your skin, you reduce the appearance of physical stress symptoms, e.g., dry skin, wrinkles, and fine lines.
Improving your physical appearance can help boost self-esteem and self-confidence. Having a consistent skincare routine can also give you a serotonin boost, which can help elevate your mood during particularly stressful days.
Exercise
Physical activity is an absolute must when it comes to stress management. Exercise can give your body the energy boost it needs to get through a busy day. Additionally, it can also promote healthy, restorative sleep at night. So, the next day you can wake up feeling refreshed and in a better mood.
If you’re looking for effective ways to maximize your immune system, creating a workout routine that fits your lifestyle and needs is something you should consider. It doesn’t have to be anything uber complicated. You can start with easy 15-minute workouts and work your way up from there. For better results, you can also hire a professional personal trainer who can personalize a training program for you.
Breathe Deeper Breaths
Taking a few moments to breathe deeply at work or during any situation that’s causing you stress can help take the pressure off almost immediately. People who are experiencing intense stress or anxiousness take smaller, shallower breaths. This disrupts the balance of gases in your body, causing you to feel tired, irritable, and overwhelmed.
Breathing deeply is an easy but effective way to restore the balance of gases in your body. You can start doing this in four easy steps:
- Find a comfortable and quiet place to sit.
- Close your eyes and imagine you’re in your favorite place, e.g., the park, the library, etc.
- Now, slowly breathe in and out, holding the in-breath for five seconds before releasing
- Do this for five to 10 minutes
It’s a simple, cost-effective way to relieve stress.
Eat Healthy
What you put in your body can affect the way it functions. It may also influence how you feel and think. Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet can help you improve your overall health and mood. Additionally, it can also fuel your body so you can easily handle everyday challenges at work or home.
Try to include an assortment of fruits, vegetables, proteins, and whole grains in your diet. Avoid eating processed foods that contain too much sodium and high amounts of artificial sweeteners. Stay clear of trans fats and empty carbohydrates — they can make you feel heavy and low on energy.
Slow Down
Overwork can cause stress and bring about negative side effects, e.g., headaches, high blood pressure, fatigue, and even a heightened risk of chronic illnesses. Slowing down and taking things one step at a time can help relieve feelings of stress and overwhelm.
Slowing down involves saying no to things that you don’t really want to get involved in. For example, your friends are inviting you to a night out with the gang on a Wednesday night. You know you have an early shift tomorrow morning. So, now you have a choice between waking up tired and groggy the next day or having a good night’s sleep tonight.
Practice saying no to things that won’t benefit you or bring you any closer to your goals.
Share Your Problems
If you’re struggling with something at home, school, or work, it’s not typically the best idea to keep it to yourself. Other people want to help you find solutions to your problems. You just need to give them a chance to prove that to you.
So, the next time you feel overwhelmed or anxious, try talking to a friend or close family member about it. Chances are, they know exactly what you should do to remedy your situation.
Identify and Eliminate Triggers
Determine what triggers are causing you stress. Is it a co-worker, your job, your commute, or a family member? Is it a recurring activity that you don’t like? When you know what’s causing you stress, you can take proactive steps to minimize your exposure to them. For example, if you have a co-worker that easily gets on your nerves, you can try asking your manager to move your desk or avoid having lunch in the company commons and instead go someplace else, e.g., the park or a restaurant closeby.
Bottom Line
Stress is almost an inevitable part of being human. Nevertheless, you can take steps to minimize its occurrence in your everyday life. Take the time to read the tips that have been shared above. Try to use them during moments of stress or overwhelm. You undoubtedly won’t regret it.
Written by guest blogger Katie Pierce who writes for a number of media outlets including ihelpc.com, Your Best Friend’s Guide to Liver Disease, Cirrhosis, and Hepatitis.
