Stress and anxiety are common experiences for almost everyone. Constant stress, whether from a traffic-choked daily commute or heavy workload to even financial obligations, can pose a wide range of health issues, including mood, sleep, and appetite problems. Minimising the chronic stress of daily life as much as possible is extremely crucial, not only for mental peace but also for your overall health. Not many know that chronic stress harms health and increases the risk of health conditions such as heart disease, anxiety disorders, and depression.
Learning to deal with stress along with managing unhealthy habits is the route to a healthy and peaceful lifestyle. While people have different coping mechanisms, some tips work across.
Laughter is the best medicine: Ever seen uncle and aunties doing the laughing exercise early in the morning? Well, laughing lowers levels of stress hormones, and it also reduces inflammation in the arteries. It also increases “good” HDL cholesterol.
Meditate: Meditation can help you in getting a deep state of relaxation. During meditation, one has to focus their attention, eliminating the stream of jumbled thoughts crowds the mind and further causes stress.
Exercise: Engaging in physical activity helps in reducing stress levels. Whether you take a walk or play any sport, the body releases mood-boosting chemicals called endorphins. Regular exercise has been shown to improve symptoms of common mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression, a national library of medicine research stated.
Unplug: Cut the cords, meaning avoid emails, TV news, and if possible switch off your phone. Take out time each day — even if it’s for just 10 or 15 minutes, to escape all the noise around.
Apart from these tips, one can also find out other de-stressing activities which can do wonders for them. While a warm bath can help someone do away with their stress, listening to music, or spending time on a favorite hobby can come to the rescue for others. With much going on in our personal and professional lives, it is important people learn the art of stress management.
