I get stressed. You get stressed. We all get stressed. No one is exempt from stress. Stress happens to everyone. No you can’t control what happens in your life, but you can control how you react or respond to the stressful situation. Stress can also have negative affects on your physical health The good news is that your body will let you know that something is not right.
Signs and signals that your body is being physically affected by stress:
- Headache
- Clenching your jaw or teeth, tightening of the jaw
- Shoulder and neck tension
- Feeling run down and tired
- Upset stomach
- Difficulty sleeping
- Elevated blood pressure
You can also be emotionally and even mentally affected by stress. Things like feeling anxious, lack of motivation, inability to focus, being irritable, and withdrawing from friends and family are hallmark reactions to stress.
Now that you can identify the ways that stress can present itself, let’s shift to finding strategies for effectively managing it. Here are a few tools to add to your stress management toolkit:
Get Regular Physical Activity
Exercise is so powerful for helping us reduce and minimize stress. It helps to stabilize the mind and mood. Happy hormones or endorphins are released during exercise. The anxiety and frustration can be worked off just by moving your body. Whatever you like to do, just do it. Zumba, spin, kick boxing, pilates, swimming, and even yoga are fun physical activities to help to keep your stress in check. It’s best to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. You can even break up the time- 10 minutes before breakfast, 10 minutes before lunch, or 10 minutes before dinner. That’s simple right?
Journaling
Journaling DAILY gets everything out of your head and onto the paper. I call it “taking a brain dump” because it purges your mind of whatever you are worried or tense about. With every stroke of your pen you will feel the stress leave your body. For real! Journal for at least 30 minutes a day AND do it right BEFORE you fall to sleep. Tomorrow you will wake up refreshed and with a clean slate.
Scheduling Me Time
Set aside time each week for a relaxing activity that is JUST FOR YOU. I’m so serious. This time is to be spent doing something that you enjoy and that benefits you. No exceptions! Things like reading books, listening to music, going to a museum, or traveling qualify as “me time”. This is the time for you to disconnect from all the stressful factors and things that are pushing and pulling you in a thousand directions. The point is to carve out some time for you EVERY WEEK to keep your stress levels in check!
Meditating
Meditation is the act or process of spending time in quiet thought to reflect and clear your mind. Start by finding a quiet place in your home to meditate in daily. Then take deep breaths in and then slowly exhale. As you breathe focus your thoughts on what touches your soul. You will center your energy and feel the pinned up stress and negativity flow from your body. Try to meditate daily for at least 5 minutes preferably as soon as you wake up. Lastly, be sure to create a dedicated “quiet place” to meditate in.
ABOUT DR. JAMIE HARDY
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Dr. Jamie Hardy (aka The Lifestyle Pharmacist™) helps young women who are busy juggling careers, businesses, and relationships be fit, fabulous, and fulfilled without prescribed pills. Cutting corners in your lifestyle to save time, is making you sick--literally.
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