Stress Solutions to Improve Health:
With the holiday season here, many people take on a lot of stress. They’re busy planning events, shopping for gifts, managing budgets, and continuing to work. Stress isn’t good for anyone. It affects health on so many levels sometimes having long-reaching detrimental effects. It affects the immune system, causes weight gain/loss, headaches, fatigue, and irritability. The stress one person feels can even affect those around him/her. However, there is good news! There are healthy ways (stress solutions to improve health) to counteract stress and greatly reduce the negative effects.
Some of the best medicine for stress is exercise. Exercise keeps your energy up and hormones (that affect stress levels) in check. It doesn’t have to be a full blown, sweat drenched workout. Starting with a simple walk is perfect. Make sure to include stretching in the routine. Stretching reduces change for injury, increases flexibility, and helps diminish stress.
A simple way to minimize stress is to recognize and evade triggers. Cutting out unnecessary drama is a huge step. This could mean scaling back on time spent with certain people, avoiding certain topics or situations, and reasserting boundaries. There are stresses that are unavoidable, like massive projects at work and big life events, but eliminate the unnecessary ones will help reduce stress almost instantly.
Work is often a major cause of stress which can sometimes be unavoidable. But there are ways to manage workplace stressors. One way is through streamlined software and applications, reliable and pleasant colleagues, and efficient time management. Working in harmony with coworkers allows a person to share the workload and stress any stressors.
Prioritizing sleep is often overlooked. Adults are so used to a “go go go” lifestyle that they often don’t realize how a lack of sleep is affecting them. In order to make sleep a priority, it’s important to set a bedtime and wake time and stick to it consistently. It’s also vital to have relaxing activities to indulge in when the stress feels overwhelming. Also, partaking in a relaxing activity before bed helps people relax and prepare for sleep. There are lots of apps for meditation, white noise, and other sleep aids. It’s also important to remember not to vary the routine even on the weekends. A seven day schedule works best.
Sugar takes wonderful, but it’s the worst. It’s super addicting and a touch habit to kick. Cutting back on sugar will vastly improve overall health and stress. To do this, it’s vital to read the labels on everything. A good rule to remember is if sugar is listed in the first three ingredients, the item probably has too much sugar in it. Sure sugar gives a rush of energy, but then comes the major crash.
When stress is managed successfully, every area of life improves. People become better colleagues, spouses, parents, and friends. Productivity increases, moods and attitudes improve, and life is more enjoyable. Hopefully, these stress solution to improve health will help everyone has a fun, stress-free holiday season!
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