5 tips to reduce stress

Managing stress isn’t easy―especially when it’s caused by work or school. You might feel anxious, irritated or frustrated, and your body will react through headaches, nausea and sweat. Stress can lead to serious health problems when combined with addictions, and  can play a significant role in skin conditions, asthma and depression.

your personality and previous life events impact how you respond to stress. Even your unrealistic expectations about what you should be doing will eventually make you worry that you’re not enough. Social media is a big influence on your life too, because it projects a perfect life that you should have when it’s only an illusion. It’s difficult to deal with these external events, but if you’re willing to control how you react to them and focus on what’s important, you can reduce stress. You can develop habits that will reduce the pressure over time or try some quick tips for the moment, like the ones in the paragraphs below.

Work out

Even if it seems the most overrated advice, working out regularly can reduce stress and help you react better in tense situations. Exercise can increase the production of endorphins, known to make you feel good. You don’t need to go to the gym or start complicated workouts, but a morning walk will have a significant impact if you do it frequently. Listen to your favorite music to associate exercise with something fun to make it more pleasant. If you want to perform more interesting exercises, try swimming, cycling or rope-jumping. Additionally, exercise with a friend to benefit more from this activity.

Besides reducing stress, working out has many other advantages, such as:

• Reducing the risk of chronic disease (type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol and hypertension)
• Improving memory and brain health
• Helping you sleep better
• Reducing pain (and increasing pain tolerance)

Make small changes in your diet

Diet is crucial for a healthy lifestyle because if you consume mainly processed foods and a lot of added sugar, your body won’t receive the nutrients needed. It’s common for people to eat unhealthy snacks in stressed moments as a coping mechanism, but the habit only leads to more issues.

Introduce good nutrients in your diet, like protein-rich foods (almonds, peanuts) or foods high in omega-3 fatty acids (flax seeds, walnuts). Getting creative with your meals and adding new ingredients will make cooking more enjoyable, and it might become a relaxing activity to do.

You can make many other changes in your meals to be less stressed, like having CBD as a snack. According to Simply Green, CBD can help you relax and sleep better. There are plenty of options to choose from: oils, extracts and even edibles. If you consume beverages on a daily basis, like CBD infused teas, you can try cbd drink wholesale to save money.

Try breathing exercises

Controlling your breathing can be challenging, especially when you’re in a stressful situation. Breathing exercises can help you calm down if you’re in an environment where you can’t sit down and relax. Stressing out can trigger the “fight-or-flight response”, preparing you to either deal with the problem or run away to escape the situation. While your body is getting ready to act, you’ll notice an increase in your heart and breathing rate.

To handle these responses, try a 4-7-8 breathing technique in these few steps:

• Inhale for four seconds
• Keep the air in your lungs for seven seconds
• Exhale for eight seconds
• Do it up to four times

You may notice that it’s becoming more effective if you’re practicing it twice a day for a longer time. If you can’t hold your breath this much, you can try a 2-3.5-4 seconds combination.

Meditate

Meditation is an easy method to try at home for controlling your thoughts. This activity helps you visualize your feelings and let them roam around your mind without blocking them. If you’re new to meditation, you can search for short audio guides that can help you if you don’t know what you’re supposed to do. You only need a quiet place and some time for yourself. The goal is to relax your body and focus on your breathing.

Additionally, you can have calming music in the background, scented candles and special pillows to sit on. And because you can adapt this activity to your preferences, you can mix mind meditation with yoga, which will help connect the body and soul. Notice where you feel the tension in your body while thinking about what’s bothering you, and try to focus on that specific area to release any anxious thoughts that hold into that zone.

Have a self-care routine

Stress can also come from an agitated lifestyle. Having a routine that includes only time for yourself is important to help you take a break. For example, you can choose a few hours at the end of the week to take a long bath, try aromatherapy with scented candles and pamper yourself. A self-care routine can also consist of reading and spending time in nature or talking with your friends.

Routine is a healthy mechanism in your life because it reduces anxiety and overwhelming feelings. You can better take care of your health if you have a structural approach to self-care. It doesn’t need to be expensive to feel like it’s making a difference; it has to be adapted to your needs and lifestyle.

If you think a daily self-care routine is better, start by identifying what can be improved in your life (like drink more water or sleep at fixed hours) and try to accomplish these goals daily.

Stressing out is inevitable; there are many things you can’t control in your life, like how people treat you or how life unfolds, but you can manage your reactions and attitudes without ignoring your feelings. A healthy lifestyle can help you for this purpose. However, if you’re experiencing acute symptoms from too much pressure, you should make an appointment with your doctor to ensure it won’t affect your health.