Stress Doesn't Have to be Stressful

Stress is part of our everyday lives. Every day, people have experienced some issue that causes stress. Whether that be students stressing over an assignment, parents stressing over their kids, adults stressing over paying their bills, and people stressing over their jobs. Some even get stressed because of family and trauma. Almost everyone has experience dealing with stress, but can they manage it? Can you manage your stress, or is the stress managing you? Are you being your best self while dealing with the stress?

This guide will explain why managing stress is crucial to your body and mind and techniques for managing that stress. Keep in mind that this guide will require you to make lifestyle changes, but in the long run, it will be worth it. One of the main reasons people don’t follow through with this kind of advice is that they don’t have the time to do so, but one small change can go a long way. You don’t have to start doing everything at once, but choose the technique that will be most effective for you. If you can do them all, that’s great. If you can’t, that is perfectly fine. What matters is taking that step in the right direction for your betterment.

The Detriments of Stress

According to the Mayo Clinic Staff, stress can affect your body, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Not only are you being negatively impacted physically, but also mentally and socially. Stress can cause adverse changes to your behavior, which can impact your relationships with people, which will lead to feeling bad about yourself, which can lead to bad habits that will affect your physical health (undereating leads to losing weight)—a very unhealthy cycle.

Some effects of stress on physical health include headaches, fatigue, sleep problems, weaker immune systems, hormonal changes, body and chest pain, etc. A common thing people do when faced with these kinds of symptoms is to take medications for that symptom. For instance, headaches caused by stress would be treated with pain-relieving medication. Or drinking caffeine for fatigue and taking melatonin for sleep. All this does is treat the symptoms, but it doesn’t treat the cause. It is essential to resolve the root of the problem so symptoms such as this don’t occur again.

Having poor physical health can also negatively impact your mental health. Stress, in general, can tank your mental health from doing okay to being absolutely miserable. It can cause anxiety, restlessness, lack of motivation, memory problems, anger, and even depression. If you are diagnosed with a mental disorder, stress can worsen your symptoms despite you taking medications or going to therapy. Mental health symptoms are rarely treated because people with stress often focus more on the things they are stressed about, which prevents them from taking care of themselves.

However, some people who focus on their mental health during stressful times don’t cope in the best way. Their behaviors and lifestyle habits take a turn for the worse, leading to eating problems, substance abuse, isolation, and emotional outbursts. And the longer a person badly copes with their stress, the more difficult it will be to switch to healthier methods. Destructive coping methods can be seen as convenient, but they don’t resolve the issue, and they further make it worse for you mentally and physically.

Methods of Stress Management

Now that you know why you should manage your stress, you must know how. As mentioned in the intro, the methods to cope with stress require commitment because these aren’t temporary fixes. These are supposed to be lifestyle changes, meaning it is a very long-term habit to implement. Additionally, these methods don’t make the stress disappear, but they give you a better chance of dealing with it so you are not overwhelmed. Having a better countenance will make it easier to find solutions to whatever is causing you stress. And if there are no solutions, you will at least have a better chance of persevering until the period ends.

These methods are recommended by Ragland from WebMD, and it is medically reviewed by Felson, MD.

Exercise

Implementing an exercise routine into your daily life will improve your physical and mental health. Physical activity helps improve sleep, improving your mind for stress management. Having good and proper sleep renews the brain and body so that you won’t be very fatigued during your time of stress. Fatigue can lead to people making mistakes, leading to even more stress. It is best to avoid that, so having a restful sleep is essential. While melatonin can help with that, melatonin is a drug, and you can build tolerance to it. Exercise is a more natural way of doing it, and you have the bonus of having an overall healthy body.

Exercise also helps with your mental health by boosting your mood. During physical activity, your body releases endorphins and endocannabinoids that block pain, improve sleep, and sometimes sedate you. These hormones also give you a euphoric feeling, which is a great mood booster. People do not have to have an entire workout routine to reap these benefits. One can simply run every morning, and that can be a good starting point. It is better to start slow and build up to it instead of jumping with a challenging workout. Especially if you are not a physically active person. Because that way, you are also building up your motivation to do it until it becomes routine.

If you don’t have the time to do that either, find ways in your everyday life to implement short exercises. Instead of driving, try walking to the store or using stairs instead of elevators. In fact, many people find cleaning their house relaxing because it is a physical activity, hence why it is a great stress management technique.

Diet

This is a very underrated but effective treatment for stress. According to WebMD, a healthy diet can build up your immune system, improve your mood, and lower blood pressure. People can be intimidated with improving their diet because there are many diet plans, but you don’t have to follow those plans. It can be overwhelming; that is why it is best to start small. Do what works for you. Look for food items that have antioxidants since they protect against cell damage caused by chronic stress. Examples of these include beans, fruits, ginger, etc. A little research is all you need to start.

When cooking meals, be more mindful of what ingredients you are using, and avoid processed foods as much as possible. If you are a snacker, stock up on healthy snacks instead. There are certain nutrients that can lessen the effects of stress on your body and mind: Vitamin C, Magnesium, and Omega-3 fatty acids. People sometimes don’t have time to make food with these nutrients, so instead, they buy vitamin supplements, which also helps.

Sleep

Lack of sleep is a common symptom of stress. Unless you have sleep disorders like insomnia, your lack of sleep may be due to stress. Additionally, lack of sleep can worsen your stress level, leading you to a horrible cycle of more stress and little sleep. However, there are ways to improve your sleep, and to do so is to improve your habits. Here are some sleep habits you can implement in your routine:

• Exercise regularly

• Avoid alcohol and caffeine before sleep

• Stick to a sleep schedule

• Don’t use electronics an hour before bed

• Try journaling or meditating before bedtime

Avoid Triggers

During the pandemic, the CDC published an article since there was a significant increase in stress levels among people due to family members getting sick, getting laid off from work, being quarantined, etc. So, noticing the issue, the CDC provided a list of healthy ways to cope with stress. One of the tips is taking breaks from news stories. Since this is during the pandemic, a lot of people hear about traumatic events all the time in the news and social media. This obviously can be very upsetting and stressful.

That said, not everyone gets stressed out from news and social media. The principle of the matter is still the same. Instead of just taking breaks from the news, you should take breaks from the things that generally make you stressed. For instance, if school is stressful, take a day out of the week to avoid thinking about school. If it is work, use the weekend to take a break from it. Being constantly surrounded by your stress triggers will worsen your stress levels, affecting your body and mind. So, take breaks and make time for yourself.

Relaxation Techniques

The above methods are things you can implement in your routine if you lead a busy life. But if you want to go the extra mile and have the time in your life, including these techniques in your lifestyle will significantly help lessen your stress levels.

• Meditation

• Yoga

• Journaling

• Coloring

• Biofeedback

• Socialize

• Positive affirmations

• Music and art therapy

• Aromatherapy

• Massage

The way you relax is ultimately up to you. Your hobbies can be a form of relaxation, whether that be gardening, baking, reading, etc. The process of finding your relaxation technique is a trial and error process. But once you find the technique that will work for you, it is vital you stick to it. Consistency is critical to seeing results. Keep in mind that in the beginning, you may feel like you are not progressing in lessening the effects of stress, especially with exercise and diet. But eventually, you will, and the results will be more long-term than the temporary fixes of medications.

Ask for Help

If you are still suffering from the effects of stress while following these tips on managing that stress, your best solution is to seek a therapist. These methods are effective, but sometimes, some underlying triggers may be causing you stress, and you would need a therapist to discuss these issues. Your therapist can guide you toward other methods that may be more beneficial for you.

And if you are concerned about your mental state to the point of harming yourself, call 911 or a suicide hotline. There are resources available at the very end with hotlines and websites that can provide the information you need regarding your situation.

Resources:

How Right Now

Coping With Stress

Taking Care of Your Emotional Health

SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)

National Suicide Hotline: Call or text 988