How to reduce stress
Offering you stress-relief advice
Stress – it’s a word we throw about often. It can work wonders for those who use it motivate them to meet a deadline or carry their team through a game of competitive sport, but when it’s not managed properly it can affect how we go about our day-to-day lives.
Although stress can’t always be avoided, there are ways you can manage and reduce it.
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Stress symptoms
Stress can show up in our behaviours, our emotions, and our bodies.
Stress may make you:
- Feel anxious, nervous, or afraid
- More fatigued and/or have sleep problems
- Develop rashes or itchy skin
- Unable to concentrate or remember things
- Feel restless
- Have muscle aches and/or headaches
- Feel as though existing physical and/or mental health problems are getting worse
What is cortisol?
You may have heard a lot about cortisol in recent months, especially on social media where we know a lot of health-related misinformation can be.
Simply put, cortisol is a hormone which plays a key role in managing how the body responds to stress. It joins forces with certain areas of the brain to control mood, motivation, and fear. As well as this, cortisol also has its part in keeping inflammation down, regulating blood pressure, and increasing your blood sugar.
If the body is under too much stress, cortisol levels won’t get to the healthy levels they’re supposed to, which can interfere with the body’s most important functions, leading to some of the stress symptoms we’ve mentioned above.
Ways to reduce stress
While there are many different types of stress which can show up in our everyday, such as worries at work, having a particularly overwhelming responsibility, or changes in our relationships, there are various stress relievers which can be applied to a variety of triggers.
Evaluate your sleep hygiene
A lack of sleep can cause the body to react as if it’s in distress, while getting quality sleep helps to regulate stress hormones, like cortisol.
Good sleep hygiene is an increasingly important and healthy lifestyle choice. Taking a second look at how our daily actions prepare us for downtime can help with stress levels; this could be through setting a specific bedtime (and sticking to it!), limiting screen time, or even having dark, heavy curtains to block out noise and light.
Move to improve your everyday
Exercise is a go-to when people are looking for an anti-stress activity. Any kind of physical activity releases endorphins – our happy hormones – which do just as they say! You may find specific relaxation techniques in workouts such as yoga or Pilates too.
Committing to exercise can bring improved self-esteem with it as well. There’s a strong sense of achievement when it comes to using exercise to reach goals and overcome physical challenges, which can ward off stress, anxiety, and negative thoughts.
Build your support network
Having support from people you trust can also be positive for stress relief. This could be through friends, family, and Colleagues.
This can be taken one step further by bringing exercise and your support network together. There are many benefits found in making exercise social, it creates Community, fosters a sense of belonging, and may even introduce you to other like-minded People!
As we’ve said, stress isn’t something you can totally stay clear of, but preparing in advance and knowing what to do when stress hits can make day-to-day life a little smoother.
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Sources: Stress (Mind) | 10 stress busters (NHS) | Cortisol (Cleveland Cinic) | What Is Cortisol? (WebMD)
Note: This information is to be followed as advice to contribute toward and assist with a healthy lifestyle. As always, we recommend consulting with a GP/healthcare professional before starting any new exercise.