Stress is something that plagues us all. We carry it on our shoulders day in and day out, it can ruin the sleep we get at night, it can make us break out in spots and blemishes, and ultimately, it can make us very ill if it becomes chronic! Stress is such a common and lingering phenomenon, and it does a lot of damage to everyone and anyone out there, and yet there’s still little emphasis put on it in the social consciousness.
Can we change that? But seeing as we don’t always have the luxury of taking a day of rest, no matter how beneficial it can be, so we’re going to have to focus on the little ways you can take care of your stressful feelings. Here are a few ideas if you’re having trouble with that.
We’ve all been in a position like this at some point!
Remember to Breathe Properly
Breathing is simple and easy, and should be the first stop on your quest to combat any stres you’re feeling in a few minutes. If something’s getting to you, whether at home or when you’re out and about (like some kind of aggressive stranger!), be sure to stop and take a deep breath in. Do so over a period of five seconds or so, and then let it out just as slowly.
This practice really can help to clear your head, and regulate your heart rate, if you have the chance to stop and sit down or lean against something as you do so.
Put the Coffee Down!
If you’re someone who can feel yourself getting a bit older, or you’re already struggling with getting enough sleep at night, the idea of having a coffee in the morning is probably a life saver! Seeing as you just don’t have the energy otherwise, you need a quick boost to keep you quipping for the rest of the day, especially if you’ve got an 8 hour shift ahead.
However, caffeine is only good in small doses, and you never want to let yourself rely on this substitute for a good night’s sleep and bit more greens in your diet. You see, the more and more you drink caffeine, the more chance it has to drive your adrenal glands into a bit of overstimulation – this leads to a lot more anxiety in your life, and that helps to build up cortisol, which is a substance you don’t want in your bloodstream on a long term basis! Of course, none of us here are doctors, so we can’t say for sure that your coffee is doing you more bad than good, but it might be an idea to cut some cups of it out of your day. Just be sure to do so slowly!
Write it Out
Writing can be very therapeutic, seeing as we’re meant to let our emotions out for better health and happiness in the long term. Even if you don’t have anyone else around to talk to, writing your thoughts and feelings down can act as a very nice substitute – and there’s no chance someone is going to judge what you say either!
So why not start a journal? Sure, they can be hard to keep up with, but you only have to write when you really need to. It’s all for your benefit – you don’t want to be looking into how to recover from an ischemic stroke any time soon, so make sure you get your thoughts out on the page, instead of bottling them up and letting your blood pressure take the pounding for you!
Listen to Some Music
And not just sticking your favorite playlist on, although this can be a great idea, listening to some music that’ll help put you in the mood you want to feel right now. Our brains are wired to identify rhythms and tap along with them, so it only makes sense that if you have the right track on in the background, you might just see a sunnier side of life by the time the song is finished.
Not to mention, you can even access music therapy nowadays, if you’re someone who really loves what music does to your brain and body. Seeing as therapy is a great way to get things off your chest anyway, you can be sure a process like this will be doubly effective!
If you need to get the stress off your shoulders, try and remember the little things that can help you.
