STRESS FREE

Stress is comprised of a constellation of physiological responses. When faced with a stressful situation, your muscles tense up, breathing becomes heavier, heart pounds faster, blood vessels dilate, and hormones like adrenaline, norepinephrine, and cortisol are released. Your body goes into fight or flight mode. Chronic stress causes your body to be therein state constantly, which may predict negative health outcomes.

There are some ways chronic stress negatively impacts your health. It is associated with physical conditions, such as headaches, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and stroke. It is related to mental illnesses, such as depression, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder. It can also promote unhealthy behaviors, such as under- or overeating, substance use, and social withdrawal. Furthermore, studies have shown that chronic stress can cause long-term damage to your brain structure and performance.

Reducing stress is therefore important in improving your long-term health. Here are some ways you can alleviate stress.

Identify stressful triggers. Find out what situations cause you to become stressed by recording your stress levels and activities throughout the day. Write down all of your commitments and responsibilities. You may get to reprioritize or eliminate certain tasks that aren't essential.

Change the way you think about stressful situations. There are some common events that cause most people to feel stressed, like death, divorce, getting married, loss of employment, starting a replacement job, moving, chronic disease or injury, and interpersonal conflicts. But given the same stressor, different people react differently. That difference is due to one’s appraisal of the stressor. Personalities can contribute to appraisal, but one can choose to think about a stressor as a challenge instead of a problem. Of course, this is easier said than done. It may require continuous practice to find out to gauge situations more constructively. It is not just thinking positively; it is thinking in the most helpful way.

Build strong relationships. Strong social support can provide you with a buffer for stress. Families and friends can listen to your problems and provide you with support and advice, thus alleviating some of the frustration you are feeling. Social support can hamper the brain circuitry that fires up during emotional pain (same as in physical pain).

Get more sleep. The relationship between stress and sleep deprivation is bidirectional. Stress can keep you up in the dark, and sleep deprivation can contribute to your overall level of stress. To break the cycle, practice good sleep hygiene, like reducing caffeine intake, developing a daily sleep schedule, eliminating screens which will trick your brain into thinking it's daytime (like TV, phone, and computer), and avoiding naps during the day.

Exercise regularly. Regular moderate exercise can help reduce stress levels. It is beneficial for your overall physical and mental health.

Relax your body and mind. There are many relaxation techniques you can do for yourself. They include deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, mindfulness meditation, and imagery. These exercises help to clear your mind, hamper pulse, and reduce muscle tension.