First, breathe. It’s a small tip, but long, deep breaths can help relieve the tension in your body. Next, relax your hunched-up shoulders and move them around.
Stress is a universal experience. And unfortunately, one that leads to a number of physical and mental health issues. From headaches to respiratory problems to heart disease and stomach issues, stress is often the root cause.
Our body’s natural reaction to any potentially harmful situations, the chemical reaction that occurs because of stress, triggers our fight-or-flight response.
So, to prepare your body, your breath quickens, the heart rate increases, the blood pressure rises, and your muscles tighten. Now, while this natural reaction helps at the time so you can respond appropriately, your body is not equipped to handle this effect long-term.
Yet, for those who work in stressful circumstances, the long-term effects become the new norm. And that triggers multiple health problems.
Addressing Stress Symptoms
Stress is not something you can fix by telling yourself not to stress out so much! Stress itself is not just a common phrase for a particular condition. In fact, it is an umbrella term for different stress indicators and conditions.
To treat different types of stress, many recommend cognitive behavioral therapy. Aimed at helping people manage symptoms of chronic stress, CBT allows people to sift through their challenges, so that they can get to the root cause of their stress. And thus, take the right steps to modify their thoughts and feeling toward it.
Alongside, professional physicians also recommend the following stress management strategies:
– Meditation
Aside from being a useful exercise, meditation provides lasting benefits for stress management. By following the right routines to practice mindfulness, meditation encourages practitioners to become involved in the movement. They’re prompted to pay complete attention to what they feel, how they move, what they’re meant to do onward. As a result, people feel detached from their stress, which gives them mental clarity.
– Self-Care
Proper self-care practices don’t necessarily involve leisurely vacations and shopping sprees. Even taking a day off from your daily schedule can make a world of difference.
At the Sole2Sole Studio in Edmonton, we receive many clients each day who book massage therapy just for this purpose. But keep in mind, massage therapy isn’t just for mental relief. A research review on massage therapy concluded that the treatment showed enormous beneficial effects for varying physical conditions.
So, for those who require a little time off, massage services such as deep tissue massages or hot stone massages offers plentiful benefits for stress relief.
– Physical Care
Did you know that vitamin D deficiency makes you more susceptible to developing depressive symptoms? Many health factors contribute to increased stress levels.
So, pay close attention to how you care for your body. Replace junk food and empty calories with healthier food alternatives. Try to exercise at least three times a week and find the time to sleep early, so your body gets the rest it needs. While it will take time to implement these lifestyle changes, you can be sure that the effort you make now will be of tremendous help in the long run!
Stress can be difficult to manage. But, while it may seem never-ending, the truth is that you do have the power to limit the impact stress has on you. All it takes is a little nudge in the right direction!
