Stress Awareness
Feeling stressed is something that everyone has gone through at some point in his or her life. It could be due to personal changes, a new job, a first-born child or financial troubles. Regardless of the reason, additional stress can take its toll on your physical and mental health. It can leave you more susceptible to colds or infections, cause insomnia or other sleep troubles, it can leave you with an upset stomach or even general aches and muscle pains.
What’s worse is that all of these things can leave you feeling even more stressed, resulting in what feels like a never-ending cycle. However, this is why April is known as Stress Awareness Month and has been every year since 1992. To help celebrate the month, here are some great tips to help you combat the stress of everyday life:
Eat Healthy: Consuming processed foods and things high in sugar, such as candy, energy drinks and others can leave your stress symptoms feeling worse. Instead, focus on eating a well-rounded and balanced diet consisting of fresh fruits and veggies, protein and Omega-3 fatty acids (such as those found in salmon and other fish). You should also be sure to avoid things containing caffeine, alcohol or nicotine as they can add onto your stress symptoms by interfering with your sleep.
Practice Meditation: Practicing meditation, or any other form of ‘relaxation techniques,’ are great ways to help combat the effects of stress. These techniques and practices allow you to find a sense of calm and balance and can be utilized everywhere from your couch at home, the seat on the bus, the train on your way to work, or anywhere you can find a quiet moment.
Get Active: If something like meditation doesn’t seem to fit your daily life or interests then get active! Regular exercise helps your body relieve stress naturally by releasing those feel good endorphins that can help relieve pain, improve your mood and even help your sleep!
Focus on Your Interests/Socialize: Hobbies are a great way to combat stress. Focusing on something that you enjoy doing can help take your mind off the things in your life that left you feeling stressed to begin with. It is also a great way to get out and interact with people. By socializing with close friends, coworkers or family, you’re giving yourself an opportunity to have a natural stress reliever as studies show that spending social time with others (even virtually) can release oxytocin, known as a natural stress reliever. Being a part of social groups can also help improve your feeling of belonging and even self-worth, which can also help you improve your overall mood and lower your stress.
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help: Stress Awareness Month it meant to bring awareness to your own person levels of stress and how it is affecting your daily life. That means understanding that stress with its symptoms can target anyone and that it is okay to ask for help, whether it be confiding in a friend, family member or coworker to even reaching out for professional help. At the end of the day, no matter who you reach out to, knowing that you are stressed and that you need to do something about it is what Stress Awareness is about.
