5 Habits To Lower Stress And Increase Your Well-Being
Stress has become one of those things that is part of our daily lives. You may experience it in waves throughout your lifetime, and in different areas of your life. A little bit of stress can even be good for us sometimes, pushing us to be more productive or helping us to focus better.
In most cases, stress can have negative effects on our health and well-being, especially if the stress we experience is chronic and starting to overwhelm us. If you want to start managing your stress effectively, it’s important to know that you will have to change some of your current lifestyle habits, or learn a few new ones, to the benefit of your own well-being.
Here are five healthy habits you can easily implement in your daily life to help you lower your stress levels and help you get through the day easier and happier.
Habit 1: Wake Up Early
Waking up early gives you the chance to plan out your day. An early morning boosts productivity and motivation, allowing you to complete tasks that you might not feel like doing later in the day. This has a positive “pile-on” psychological effect and makes you feel accomplished and satisfied. It sets a positive tone for the rest of your day and you will soon start to realize that you will be less affected by stressful situations at work because of this.
Habit 2: Learn To Meditate
Did you know that stress makes you older? Well, meditation effectively does the opposite. It increases your longevity while calming your mind, increasing the oxygen levels in your blood through deep breathing and by lowering your heartbeat and blood pressure.
Physically, meditation conditions your body to do the exact opposite of the stressed “fight and flight” response, it forces your body into the “rest and digest” state. Mentally, meditation helps you to work through negative feelings and break through negative habits and thought patterns.
Habit 3: Exercise
Exercise is one of those activities that can naturally elevate your mood. Even mild exercise like going for a nature walk or doing a yoga class can get your blood circulating, carrying more oxygen to your brain, organs, and muscles.
Exercise gives you a natural high afterwards by releasing the body’s own happy substance called endorphins. Creating an exercise habit will help keep stress levels lower and keep your body and brain in good physical condition.
Habit 4: The Power Of Positive Affirmation
When you are constantly stressed out, your thought pattern may become negative. This can lead to depressive and anxious feelings. Creating and repeating a positive affirmation for yourself at the start of the day can change your whole outlook.
It can be something as simple as ‘I am proud of myself. I am working towards my dream’. Once you start doing this every day, you will effectively be rewiring your thought process to a more positive one, setting the tone for a happier life.
Habit 5: Give Up Screen Time For Quality Sleep
A good night’s sleep is one of the most powerful tools you have to help combat the physical and mental effects of stress. When we sleep, the body starts to restore and repair ‘glitches’ that appeared during the day.
Try to get in the habit of not looking at any screens (and social media) an hour before you go to bed. This will allow your body to get into the natural rhythm of falling asleep and will help your brain to switch off.
Reduce Stress & Improve Your Well-Being
Implementing these habits, together with some healthy eating habits (less alcohol and caffeine) can greatly benefit your overall well-being and may effectively help you reduce your stress.
Try a few of these habits for yourself to see the results!
