From traffic on the way to work, to spilling coffee during lunch, to an annoying colleague, different activities in our daily lives contribute to our stress levels.
Stress is the body’s response to an activity you find tedious, frightening, or exciting. In such situations, your body secretes hormones that make your muscles tense up, increase the rate of your heartbeat, and make you more alert. This can help you navigate danger or activate your fight-or-flight response.
However, when stress begins to stretch on for a long time, it can be dangerous to your physical and mental health. In this article, you’ll find all you need to know about managing stress effectively.
How to know when you’re stressed
When you are stressed, your body will begin to show some symptoms. These symptoms are indicators that you are under a lot of stress and might need to slow down and take a break.
Physical Symptoms
Physical symptoms of stress are the signs that are exhibited by your body. They include:
- Accelerated heartbeat
- Fatigue
- Trouble sleeping
- Fatigue
- Rapid weight loss and gain
- Headaches
- Panic attacks
- Body aches
Mental Symptoms
Emotional symptoms of stress have to do with your feelings and mental wellbeing. Your thoughts, feelings, and state of mind are affected by stress, so if you experience any of these symptoms, don’t neglect them.
- Anxiety
- Irritability
- Restlessness
- Depression
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Inability to focus
- Memory and retention issues
How to manage stress
Stress is a draining feeling, like an endless downward spiral that feels like it would never end. You may be unable to control circumstances around you that get you stressed out, but you can manage it effectively!
Here are some sure-fire ways to manage stress effectively:
- Take care of yourself: Whenever you feel stressed, take a break and do something nice for yourself. Soak in a warm bath, have a manicure, read a book — anything you enjoy. Doing something nice for yourself will help you relax.
- Exercise: Exercise is also a good way to manage stress. When you exercise, your brain releases dopamine and serotonin, which improve your mood and stop the secretion of stress hormones.
- Talk to your loved ones: Communicate with your friends, family, and trusted ones about how you feel. Unburdening your mind can greatly relieve stress and improve your mood.
- Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness is simply the act of being aware — of yourself, your body, feelings, and surroundings. It’s one of the best ways to manage stress, and it encompasses loads of meditative and self-awareness activities which help to alleviate stress.
Ways to manage stress through mindfulness
Mindfulness is the practice of intensive awareness of yourself, your body, your feelings, and your surroundings. Here are some mindfulness techniques and exercises that can help you relieve stress.
1. Yoga: Yoga is a mindfulness exercise where you stretch into certain positions and breathe deeply, trying to be aware of every breath and the movement and position of your limbs. It helps you focus inwardly and block out noise.
2. Intentional breathing: This mindfulness technique involves concentrating on your breathing. Focusing on the way the air rushes in and out of your lungs, how your chest inflates and deflates, and the rise and fall of your abdomen can help you unburden your mind.
3. Body and feeling scan: To perform a body and feeling scan, you need a silent place.
Here’s how it’s done:
- You may lay down or sit up, but ensure that you’re comfortable.
- Take deep breaths and focus on how your body parts feel, from your head to your toes.
- Do not probe each feeling, whether soreness or pain, but rather acknowledge it and continue.
- When you’re done, start over, but this time focus on your emotions.
Recognizing and acknowledging your feelings validates them and will help you feel better.
4. Observing your surroundings: This is another mindfulness technique where you observe your immediate environment.
Take note of the people, things, and their interactions, but do not analyze or judge them. Just observe. This activity helps to take the focus away from your feelings and relax.
5. Mindful eating: Mindful eating is when you carefully eat each bite of your food and savor it, noting the texture, temperature, and flavors, and the way it slides down your throat and settles in your stomach.
Aside from the fact that it helps you appreciate your food more, mindful eating can help prevent excessive eating, because you are satisfied not only by the quantity of the food but also by its quality.
Mindfulness is not a quick fix for stress management. It needs to be done consistently to achieve the desired results, ultimately ensuring that you live a calm, stress-free life.
If after trying all the above methods, you still can’t manage your stress, then you may need to seek professional help. Simply google “mental wellness center near me,” or contact us at our mental health center Charlotte. Your wellbeing is our priority!
