Summary: Stress management gets easier with 5 practical tips–regular exercise, healthy diet, deep breathing, adequate sleep & seeking therapy when needed. These tips are easy to adopt and follow an all-inclusive approach for individuals combating stress.
Stress Management Techniques - 5 Practical Tips For Stress Management in Everyday Life
Stress has become an unavoidable part of our lives. For some, it helps individuals achieve their goals and get things done faster. Stress can be useful in the short term, being a natural bodily response to situations.
However, the term “stress” has a completely different meaning for people with high stress. High stress emanates from family demise, business loss, job loss, etc.–situations that are usually not in our control.
When high-stress situations get beyond our control and begin to meddle in our work & life, we seek the help of medical professionals at platforms like Ohio Mental Health & Addiction Services.
However, before a grave situation arrives, you can always use some practical stress management techniques and tips to manage your stress.
Symptoms of Stress
Physical Symptoms
- Exhaustion
- high blood pressure
- Digestive Problems
- Weak Immune System
- Sleep Issues
Mental Symptoms
- Panic Attacks
- Listlessness
- Urge to stay indoor
- Nervousness
- Lack of self-confidence
5 Tips to Manage Stress
1. Exercise Regularly
Exercise releases endorphins, a natural brain chemical responsible for mood upliftment and improving well-being.
Interestingly, exercise helps boost creativity. Specifically, walking can help your creative juices flow, according to a Stanford study. Exercise is an umbrella term that includes various forms of movement, such as dance, yoga, aerobics, flexibility, mobility training, etc.
Movement training and yoga practice release muscle tension, curbing stress. People even consider gymming a stress-relieving exercise.
Bonus Tip: If you can find time for a 15-minute walk, it can help reduce stress significantly. You can start with post-meal walk routines with friends, family members or colleagues.
2. Practice Deep Breathing
Deep breathing can reduce stress by activating the parasympathetic nervous system lowering heart rate and blood pressure, promoting a state of calm. It increases oxygen flow, helping to relax muscles and clear the mind, making stress more manageable.
Deep breathing can help you feel stable and grounded. According to this Harvard article regular breathing exercises, practices, and relaxation techniques also contribute to muscle relaxation.
3. Know & Follow the Right Diet
There are times when overt stress drives people to have sugar cravings and develop unhealthy eating habits, leading them to obesity, diabetes, and cardiac ailments.
Knowing and following the right diet can enable individuals to minimize stress and live a healthier overall lifestyle. Ensure you consume sufficient protein (recommended: 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight). Try to satisfy random food cravings with nuts, seeds, and fruits.
4. Maintain a Healthy Sleep Cycle
Sleep is the free miracle medicine! Sleep aids the body to reduce cortisol and other stress hormones. Cortisol is a stress hormone responsible for the body’s fight-or-flight response to danger.
Insufficient sleep might cause body distress, releasing more cortisol. Hence, sleep deprivation must be avoided, especially if you are dealing with chronic stress.
5. Seek Therapy
As stress is of different types (acute, chronic, post-traumatic stress), so is therapy, including oral medicines and practical therapy.
Only individuals dealing with chronic stress can seek professional help, is a myth. Anyone with stress can seek professional help, even when they try the tips mentioned above or otherwise.
Therapy empowers people to keep triggers at bay, specifically in PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).
Suicidal tendencies or feelings of hopelessness due to excessive stress necessitate professional help. Mental health services in Lancaster Ohio aim to build a safe space for people looking for non-judgemental help. If you or anyone you know requires professional help, feel free to get in touch here.