Stress.
You and I both are subject to some form of stress in our life.
You experience stress when you feel under pressure or threatened. When you feel like you’ve lost control or manage a situation.
Stress is not your friend and if left unattended, you will begin to experience many health problems that will only lead you to experience more stress in your life.
You may be living in a constant state of stress if you…
- Feel tired all the time.
- Experience frequent headaches.
- Grind your teeth, especially while sleeping.
- Tearful during the day.
- Experiencing emotional eating.
- Avoid social activities.
Which of those symptoms are you experiencing?
It’s important to recognize the stress in your life and learn how to manage how you react to those situations where you feel you have lost control.
When you find healthy ways to work through your stress, your health and your relationships begin to improve.
Here are some healthy ways to manage your stress…
Community
Finding a community that supports and encourages you is a great way to help relieve your stress. Take the initiative to contact friends and plan an outing where you can laugh and have fun. Something as simple as taking the children to meet with others, or actually getting out for a luncheon are simple ways to gather in community.
Hobbies
What do you enjoy?
Hobbies are a great way to relax and enjoy yourself. Choose from active, creative, mental, musical, collecting, games or other types of hobbies. You’ll reduce your stress and will find yourself a happier person.
Volunteer
Every Town / City have organizations that are in need of volunteers. When you serve others, you’re serving yourself. You have the opportunity to take your eyes off of yourself and focus on others.
Yoga
Find a yoga group to become a member of. Yoga allows you to release the tension in your body and surround yourself with calm and quiet. Your worries will seem less stressful when you allow calm into your life.
Develop a Sleep Routine
Take a moment and reflect on your evening routine.
If the last moments of your day are spent looking at your screen, the blue light from the screen can decrease your melatonin, the sleep hormone. Put your electronics away at least thirty minutes before bedtime, take a relaxing bath, read a calming book, spray your sheets with lavender, drink a warm cup of calming tea, and try to sleep for seven to eight hours.
Daily activity
How active are you during your day?
Make a commitment to yourself to add more activity to your day. This is as simple as walking for ten minutes each hour or so. There are many apps for your phone that will remind you to move more. Install one on your phone and get moving. The more you move, the more energy you’ll gain, and the less stressed you will feel.
Celebrate your accomplishments
What goals have you set for yourself this month?
As a Healthy Habit Coach, I coach my clients to break their goals up into tiny steps and celebrate their accomplishments. When you celebrate your small victories, you feel better about yourself and this helps reduce your stress and anxiety by focusing on what you’ve accomplished.
Being grateful
Are you keeping a journal?
There is something to be grateful for each and every day, no matter how stressed you feel. At the end of the day, journal one good thing about your day. Your emotional and physical health improves as you focus on gratitude each day.
Make your health matter
How are you making your health a priority in your life?
There are many activities in our life that create stress that we can easily release. Reflect on how you are taking care of yourself and what may be adding on more stress.
Eat a wholesome healthy diet, take time for self-care, become more active, release what you cannot control. Start today to set yourself up for less stress and better health.
Just say “No”
Are you a people pleaser?
Many are and they find it difficult to say no to others.
Saying “No” to activities that do not fulfill you, allows you to stop adding more stress to your life. Set you priorities and stick to them.
Taking control of your life and learning how to reduce your stress allows you to experience better mental, emotional, and physical health. Learn to manage your stress to reap the benefits of becoming healthier.
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