Whether you are juggling multiple jobs, raising your beautiful kids at home, or caring for aging parents, you may end up being stressed out at a certain point. Even positive activities like planning a weekend getaway with your spouse, moving to your dream house, or planning a family get-together can result in stress.
While it may be impossible to do away with all the stress in your life, you can adopt some methods to mitigate its effects and improve your health. We have highlighted a few steps to reduce stress and attain optimum wellness.
Causes of Stress.
Stress is a normal human reaction experienced by everyone. We get stressed while engaging in common daily activities like work, house chores, ruining errands, etc.
Stress isn’t life-threatening, unlike fatal illnesses like cancer, cancer, stroke, stroke, etc. Regardless, it would help if you got rid of stress for the sake of your health and wellbeing. To get rid of stress, you may want to understand its causes. Common causes of stress are:
- Relationship problems
- Loss of a job
- Chronic illness or injury
- Major life transitions
- Increase in financial obligations
- Excessive debt
1. Be Social
If you are feeling stressed out, you may want to self-isolate. Of course, it seems like the logical solution to stress, but it isn’t. In fact, self-isolation doesn’t reduce stress; it increases it. Also, studies show that social isolation raises the risk of heart disease, including dementia.
So, rather than snuggle up on your bed and Binge watch your favorite movie series all day in the name of trying to reduce stress, consider seeking out time with friends and loved ones. Doing so won’t only rid your body of stress, it’ll increase your cardiovascular health as well.
2. Get Active
Another effective way to reduce stress is by being active. There are several ways to get active. You can either engage in exercises or fun activities like sports. Whatever you do, ensure you aren’t in one spot for too long. You can consider the following simple exercises to stay active:
- Cycling
- Swimming
- Walking
- Running and jogging
- Dancing
Working your muscles is a perfect way to boost your mood and keep your heart healthy through improved fitness. Experts recommend mild aerobic exercise 30 minutes daily, five days a week. You can also raise your daily activity by adhering to the “20-2-8” rule, which requires you to spend eight minutes standing and two minutes walking whenever you sit for 20 minutes.
3. Prioritize Self Care
After spending so much time and effort catering to your children’s needs, keeping the house in order, and handling office work, it makes sense to set aside time for yourself. Practicing self-care is an effective way to reduce or eliminate depression, reduce stress, enhance focus, improve energy, etc.
Engage in activities that bring you joy. Try to do something for yourself every day. Maintain your friendship. Prioritize your menstrual health by taking Scarlet, a powerful menstrual health tonic for period cramps, pains and PMS. Another thing you should pay close attention to is your personal hygiene. Remember, you deserve the love and care you give out. So do something for yourself!
4. Practice Mindful Eating
Did you know that some foods cause stress? Foods like sugar, artificial sweeteners, processed carbohydrates and alcohol can spike up your stress level. To avoid stress-induced by what you consume, practice mindful eating. What does this even mean? Mindful eating means paying attention to the food you eat.
Common stress-relieving foods are:
- Fish
- Poultry
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Whole grains
- Healthy fats
Conclusion
Stress will always come. However, you can adopt effective measures to reduce its effects or eliminate it entirely. Be social. Practice self-love by doing what excites you. Practice mindful eating and know when to take a break.