Stress refers to your body's natural reaction to challenges and demands. It can be positive or negative; there are healthy and unhealthy ways to deal with it. Sleep quality and quantity are critical indicators of stress, and therefore sleeping well is essential in stress management. Stress is also known as the silent killer, and the typical manifestation is hypertension.
According to CDC, hypertension caused mortality in more than 494,873 in the US in 2018. It also costs $131 billion each year. One of the underlying causes of hypertension is uncontrolled stress.
Chronic stress can deteriorate our health. Stress decreases one's ability to concentrate, weakens the immune response, can cause sleep disruptions, and increase the risk of hypertension and many other cardiovascular diseases.
There is a direct correlation between stress and the following disease:
Depression and Anxiety
Heart Disease
Cognitive Decline
Diabetes
Gastrointestinal problems such as IBS
Accelerated Aging
Insomnia
Stress management strategies are the key to combating stress; luckily, there are natural solutions. Lifestyle modifications such as exercise, nutrition, stress education, and various supplements can help us manage our stress.
Eat and drink to optimize your wellbeing. Many people try to deal with their stress by overconsuming alcohol or food. Although These strategies may seem to help momentarily, they may add to stress in the long term. A well-balanced diet can help to combat stress.
Regular Movement. Exercise is a powerful stress reliever. Consider aerobic exercise, strengthening with weights, or movement activities such as yoga or Tai Chi, and set attainable goals for yourself. Aerobic exercise releases endorphins— natural substances that help improve mood, make you feel better and maintain a positive attitude.
Stop using nicotine products. Unlike common myth that People believe nicotine is a stress reliever, it actually places more stress on the body. Nicotine causes physical arousal and reduces blood flow and breathing.
Practice relaxation techniques. Setting aside the time to relax daily helps to manage stress and protect the body from the effects of stress. There are many techniques to choose from deep breathing, square breathing, positive imagery, progressive muscle relaxation, and mindfulness meditation. Many online and smartphone apps, such as Calm and Square Space, can help.
Reduce Stress triggers. Each of us has many Daily stress factors. Many of which are what we have chosen; You can free up time by practicing time-management skills; setting priorities, setting time aside for self-care
Set your values and live by them. The more your actions reflect your beliefs, the better you will feel, no matter how busy your life is. Use your values when choosing your activities.
Practice Assertiveness. Many of us believe that It is not okay to say "No" but, the demands on your time and energy that will cuase too much stress. It is ok not to meet the expectations of others; by setting bounderies you can reduce your stress.
Set attainable goals. It's okay—and healthy—to realize you cannot be perfect in everything. Be mindful of your abilities and work on accepting your shortcoming and if it can be improved, practice on improving it.
Value yourself. Always remind yourself of what you do well and what you need to improve. Self steem can be a taught behavior and practicing a healthy self steem is crucial for stress manamgent.
There are various methods you can use to relax or reduce stress, such as:
Square breathing exercises.
Silent Meditation.
Mindfulness meditation.
Progressive muscle tapping.
Positive Mental imagery relaxation.
Relaxation to music.
Biofeedback techniques
Seeking professional Counseling, to help you recognize and release stress.
For more information about relaxation techniques or other suggestions, consult with your physician.
What is Biofeedback?
Biofeedback is a techniqe that can helps a person to learn stress reduction skills. It provides information about muscle tension, heart rate, and other vital signs as a person attempts to relax. It is usually used to gain control over certain bodily functions that cause tension and physical stess and pain
Biofeedback is a useful tool, you will learn how your body rectos to stress, and how to cope better. For examle If a headache, such as a migraine, begins slowly, many people have usee biofeedback methods to stop the attack before it becomes full- blown.
Nutrition
There are many herbs and supplements such as:
Magnesium, Passion Flower, Lemon Balm, and Valerian Root extract could help manage stress and improve the effect of stress.
Magnesium which is one of the major minerals that our boy needs is a cofactor in more than 300 enzymes interaction in the body. it is a potent muscle relxer and it also improve quality of sleep. Taking magnesium at night can imporve your sleep.