If you’re like most people, you deal with your fair share of stress most days. And that doesn’t seem fair at all! Especially when you consider that chronic stress can negatively impact our health, sending blood pressure soaring and causing our hearts to work harder.
Whether it’s a bully for a boss, a horrific commute, mounting bills, or problems in your marriage, stress is a part of life we really can’t get away from. But there are things we can do to eliminate the effects of stress on our minds and body:
Let Go
Sometimes stress comes from wanting to control everyone and every event in our lives. But this isn’t possible. Recognizing you don’t have control over everything and just letting go can often bring profound relief.
Breathe Deeply
Taking slow, deep breaths, and exhaling even slower gets you out of fight or flight mode and puts you into rest and digest mode. Our bodies cannot heal and repair when we are in constant states of fight or flight, only when we are in rest and relax mode. Whenever you feel stressed, take a deep, slow breath in… hold it for a count of 3… and exhale for a count of 4… and repeat three times. Guaranteed you feel more calm and relaxed and you will help your body heal itself.
Make Self-Care a Priority
When we’re stressed it’s easy to make poor lifestyle choices that only lead to poor health outcomes. Be sure to prioritize self-care by eating right, drinking plenty of pure water, and getting enough sleep and exercise each day.
Practice Meditation
Mindfulness meditation is one of the best ways to calm your mind and keep it peaceful throughout the day. There are plenty of Youtube videos that will help you begin your practice.
Sometimes we have more things going on and bigger struggles than everyday stressors. Working with a licensed counselor can help you make sense of what is going on and help you learn great tools to manage those stressors. Reach out to us today to get matched up with the counselor that fits you best.
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