Say Goodbye to Stress with 4 Stress Management Techniques

Stress. We’ve all felt it. It’s an awful feeling and once you’ve entered a stressed-out mindset, it can be hard to escape.

In light of April being National Stress Awareness Month, we want to help you let go of unnecessary stress with a few easy techniques — because we all deserve a little extra zen in our lives!

Stress–It’s Not Fun, But It’s Normal!

Stress is our body’s normal reaction to pressure. This pressure could be the result of a new situation, high-pressure life events, unexpected situations, or feeling like you lack control over something. These stressors cause your body to produce a physical and/or mental response.

Being stressed is an unpleasant feeling, and it can result in physical, emotional, or intellectual responses.

While stress is a normal human response to stressors, it can begin to become a problem if stress continues without periods of relief or relaxation. We hear a lot about putting mental health first and stress management is a part of that too.

Stress is More Than a Feeling

Your body can also have a physical reaction to stress without you even realizing it. Continued exposure to stress will take a toll on your body over time. While minor physical symptoms can be present at the onset of stress, if your body stays in “fight or flight” mode for a long period of time, the physical symptoms of stress will only worsen. In some cases, you may not realize that some of your habits are a result of stress which may add more stress.

Some common physical symptoms of stress consist of:

• Brain fog
• Trouble sleeping
• Headaches
• Muscle tension
• High blood pressure
• Digestive or stomach problems
• Weakened immune system

Some habitual symptoms of stress consist of:

• Retail therapy
• Unmotivated to do physical activity
• Procrastination
• Overloading your plate

What’s Causing Stress?

As mentioned previously, stress is caused by challenges, change, or a lack of control. Stressors can be present at work or just in everyday life.

Causes of work stress could include:

• Being unhappy at your job
• Heavy workload
• Long hours
• Poor management
• Toxic work environment
• Dangerous work conditions

Sometimes stress doesn’t come from an external factor, but rather an internal one. You might be stressing yourself out by worrying about things that haven’t happened. Whether it’s fear and uncertainty regarding the world around you or an unrealistic expectation you set, it’s normal to be stressed about how things may or may not turn out.

There are countless things that could be contributing to your stress. Everyone has their own measure of what could be deemed “stressful”. Regardless of the cause of your stress, being stressed is nothing to be ashamed of. We’re all human!

Stress Management Toolbox

Stress management can restore calm and serenity to your life. Best of all, most stress management techniques are fairly easy to do and can give you instant relief.

Learning how to incorporate stress management techniques into your life can greatly reduce any feelings of stress.

Nurture Your Network

Having a positive and safe space in relationships can help in your stress relief. Healthy relationships in your workspace, friendships and relationships can help in relieving built-up stress. If you are going through a stressful period, reaching out for guidance and comfort can lower your stress response. Build your support team which may consist of friends, colleagues, mentors or therapists to guide you through your thoughts and feelings. Sometimes talking it out in a positive and safe environment helps with the release of stress.

Mediation

If you’re not one to easily open up to someone, meditation might be worth a shot. Meditation can help with the overload of stress by refocusing your thoughts and redirecting your energy when you fall into deep negativity. Meditation comes in different forms such as guided meditation, yoga and mantra meditation to name a few. You may have to try different types of mediation to see what fits you best. Even taking 10 minutes of your day to focus your attention on relaxed breathing is proven to help you build resilience to stress and get you centered when you are thrown off by stress. Some benefits of meditation are:

• A clear mind opens creativity
• Calms anxiety
• Decrease blood pressure

Mind What You Take In

Ever heard of the brain-gut connection? Your gut is also known as your second brain. Putting thought into what you put in your body can help you ease your mental health and stomach. Stress can affect your gut such as constipation, indigestion, and IBS to name a few. Minding what you eat and drinking plenty of water can help control your stress levels.

Harvard research states “A troubled intestine can send signals to the brain, just as a troubled brain can send signals to the gut. Therefore, a person’s stomach or intestinal distress can be the cause or the product of anxiety, stress, or depression. That’s because the brain and the gastrointestinal (GI) system are intimately connected.”

Your gut is the home of millions of bacteria which plays a part in how your brain carries information throughout your body. The combination of stress and an unbalanced diet can affect your mood, blood sugar levels and energy levels. Being mindful of what you eat and when you eat can help your mood, reaction time, and stress resilience. So yes, this means you need to make sure you don’t only have coffee until 3 pm.

Unplug and Unwind

If you are in a WFH environment you are missing out on the physical disconnect from work. Physical activity improves your brain health due to your body’s ability to regulate oxygen and blood flow. Some type of physical activity is a great way to literally shake off the day’s tension. Fortunately, you don’t have to lift weights or go to the gym to move your body. An activity as simple as a walk or stretching can help with:

• Clearing out your mind
• Strengthens immune system
• Improving sleep quality

This is a great way to release negative energy, it’s almost similar to meditation in motion. Focusing on one movement can have the same effects as meditating. Physical activity helps you forget about the day’s problems while pumping your body with endorphins.

A little self-care can go a long way. Don’t be afraid to learn some new stress management techniques and give yourself a much-needed break from everyday stress!

We also have some clean-rated products that can help with stress. Check it out here.

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