Table of Contents
Many people now say stress is part of their personality. What they mean by this is that they suffer from stress every day, and it has become a regular occurrence in their life. While this might be said as a joke, it is not something that should be taken lightly. If you are guilty of making this type of joke in the past, know that there are things you can do to help your mental health and state of mind.
First, acknowledge that you could be suffering from chronic stress. This can come with many different symptoms, which can include headaches, insomnia, physical pains, and even brain fog. But, know that there are things you can do in your life and adjustments you can make in order to feel better. Here are five ways to start dealing with chronic stress today.
Get Active
When you are stressed about something, it is normal to keep thinking about it. For example, if you have a lot of work on your plate, you might worry about it when you are not working or spend hours working on a task to the point that you are tired out. But, this is a bad cycle to get into, and you have to figure out ways where you can help take your mind off what is making you stressed. In addition, you have to figure out ways to lower your cortisol levels so that you can feel better.
One way that you can do this is by getting active. In other words, you should make a point of exercising when you are feeling stressed. This has been proven to be a good way to boost your mood and lower stress levels at the same time. This can be something as simple as going for a daily walk. Note that it does not mean you have to participate in strenuous exercise. It can be anything where you are active and away from what is causing you to stress.
Enjoy Regular Massages
Have you heard of people getting massages when they are stressed? Indeed, this is something else that you might benefit from. It is well-known that massages are designed to relax your body and mind. For instance, a Lomi Lomi massage promotes blood circulation, which can help when your body feels tense. What’s more, the movement of the massage can allow you to forget your troubles and focus on unwinding.
Therefore, perhaps you are the perfect candidate to benefit from regular massages. You can enjoy them a couple of times a month when you are starting to feel overwhelmed. It can give your body and mind some relief from all of the stress you have been suffering from. Indeed, people report feeling relaxed and satisfied after having a massage. In addition, they can enjoy a better night’s sleep if insomnia is something they are suffering from.
Manage Your Sleep
Your sleep is something that definitely suffers when you are stressed out. You might find that the quality of sleep you are getting is affected, and you are waking up all the time. You might find you wake up and are not energised, or you can wake up with a racing heart or feeling nauseous. Alternatively, some people do not go to bed early when they are stressed and try to utilise these extra hours in the day.
Either way, know that sleep is very important for your body, and it can help to defeat chronic stress. You are allowing your body to relax and rejuvenate, which can help to lower cortisol levels. Indeed, you should prioritize your sleep and ensure you are getting enough hours each night. Try to wind down before bed, which means switching off your devices and making an effort to relax.
Create Realistic Goals
There are two ways you might be suffering from stress. First, you might not be getting tasks done that you need to. Secondly, you could be setting unrealistic targets. Indeed, the two things might be at play. You are putting too much pressure on yourself and putting yourself in a difficult position. Then, you are stressed about not achieving what you have set out and need to do.
Something that is very important to manage your stress levels is to create realistic goals. You should start working on tasks and projects in advance so you are not rushing and panicking at the last minute. Sit down and think about realistic goals you can set for yourself that are achievable. Hopefully, this means that you are not as stressed about them, and you can feel a rewarding feeling when you get them done.
Avoid Dietary Triggers
Believe it or not, there are things you can eat and drink that can make your stress worse. For example, people often comfort eat and turn to things like candy and junk food. But, the problem is that these spikes you can get from sugar can make your stress feel worse. They can make people jittery, and they worry more. The same goes for drinking a lot of caffeine. People think that this can help them to concentrate and get more tasks done. But, it can actually just make you more anxious. You can also drink too much alcohol as a coping mechanism, and this can cause havoc with your energy levels.
Therefore, think about things in your diet that you can change. Remove things that are high in alcohol, sugar, or caffeine. Focus on having a healthy and balanced diet so that you can feel good and energised, keeping stress levels to a minimum. What’s more, there are drinks you can have that can help you stay relaxed. For instance, many people like to drink chamomile tea. Making these changes might take a while to show the positives. But, as they often say, you are what you eat. So, you are going to feel a lot better about yourself when you are eating well and taking care of yourself.
Image Credit: Photo by Radu Florin on Unsplash