For many people, fall is one of the busiest and most stressful times of the year. It is often the mark of new beginnings and a time of transition as people “kick off” the year ahead. When there are beginnings, there is often uncertainty and adjustment, both of which trigger stress. The negative effects of stress on the human body and mind have been extensively documented. I’ll be focusing on stress this fall, including everything from what causes it to how we can learn to better manage it. I invite you to join the conversation as we tackle this all-too-common issue together.
Here are 5 simple things you can do right now to help minimize stress in your life:
Exercise: Thankfully, you do not need to be an ultra-marathoner to reap the stress reducing benefits of exercise. Even light forms of movement, such as walking, tell your brain to release “feel good” chemicals, which calm your mind and allow you to better cope with your stress. Stuck at the office all day? Here are 10 ways to exercise at work. Number seven sounds like a great idea!
Read: According to a recent study, just six short minutes of reading can reduce your stress levels by more than two-thirds. When you sit quietly and allow your mind to concentrate on reading and escape into a literary world, your heart rate reduces and your muscles relax. Looking for a good read? The New York Times bestseller list is always a great resource.
Breath: It may sound elementary, but the simple act of deep breathing is one of the very best ways to lower stress in the body. When we are anxious, our bodies go into survival mode and our breathing alters and speeds up. When we practice deep breathing exercises, however, our body begins to repair, helping to calm us. Here are 6 quick breathing exercises to try today.
Practice gratitude: When we allow ourselves to focus on the good in our life and to think optimistic, rather than pessimistic, thoughts, we train our mind to react more positively in the face of struggles and stress. Instead of focusing on things that are going wrong in your life, try focusing on what is going right. A great way to remind yourself of the many positive things in your life is to keep a gratitude journal. Whether on paper or on your smart phone with apps such as this one, practicing gratitude can lower your stress and improve your attitude.
Rethink your diet: Stress levels and poor nutrition go hand in hand. A great way to reduce these levels in your body is to alter the way you eat. In a society driven by fast food, disease and infection statistics are continually on the rise. Healthy foods, especially those high in vitamins and minerals, help to detox and calm your body. Need ideas for healthy options? Here are 13 stress-fighting foods to try.
Learning to conquer stress is a journey for many people. We all have seasons in our lives that yield more anxious situations than others. The key is to be able to recognize these situations as they occur and to employ strategies to better handle them.
