Why should you bother controlling your stress levels? Stress relief is important because excessive or chronic stress can negatively impact both physical and mental health, leading to a variety of health problems and decreased quality of life. Stress is associated with many chronic diseases, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, obesity, chronic pain, and depression.
Finding ways to manage and alleviate stress can help improve overall well-being and enhance your ability to cope with life’s challenges. Here, we have some proven strategies that can help reduce your stress levels.
Exercise Regularly
Regular exercise has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety by releasing feel-good endorphins, improving mood, and reducing tension in the body. Ever try taking a walk and notice how much better you feel after ward? Walking is a form of exercise, and it helps you feel better mentally and physically.
Practice Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness meditation involves paying attention to your thoughts and feelings without judgment, allowing you to stay present. Mindfulness techniques usually involve slow and deep breathing exercises, which put you in a state of relaxation. It also helps with emotional regulation, so you are more aware of your actions in response to stressful situations.
Do Yoga
Practicing yoga is an effective way to reduce stress. It involves a combination of physical postures, breathing exercises, and meditation or mindfulness practices, all of which can help cultivate a meditative state of mind. Yoga as an exercise is one of the best things you can do for your mental health.
Practice Aromatherapy
Certain scents, such as lavender, chamomile, and peppermint, have been shown to have a calming effect on the body and reduce stress. You can practice aromatherapy with the use of essential oils, to either inhale or vaporize them. They can also be mixed with carrier oils for aromatherapy massage. Whichever method you choose, essential oils promote relaxation, alleviate anxiety, and help with nausea, insomnia, and depression.
Get Social Support
Humans need social support, and spending time with friends and family is one way to help you cope with the stressors of life and have a better sense of well-being. People who care about you can provide emotional support, physical support, and satisfy the need for socialization.
Learn Time Management
If you have poor time management skills, it is easy to feel overwhelmed, which can lead you to experience greater stress levels. Learning to manage your time effectively by keeping organized and planning your week ahead can help you stay ahead of stress-inducing factors.
Eat Better
When you eat well, meaning when you put healthy food into your body, you will feel good. If your diet consists of junk, fried, and fatty foods, you are more likely to feel terrible about yourself, compared to if you eat a high-fiber, low-fat, and whole-food diet. Nourish your body by choosing what you consume wisely.
Stress and Anxiety Treatment in Sherman, TX
If you are feeling overwhelmed with life, the compassionate providers at Carrus Behavioral Hospital can help. Carrus Behavioral Hospital offers evidence-based therapeutic approaches for a variety of mental health conditions, such as anxiety disorders, PTSD, OCD, and ADHD. Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the methods we use to help our patients identify harmful patterns of thinking and change them. Also included in our outpatient services are anger management help, coping skills development, medication management, and nutritional therapy.
We offer both inpatient and outpatient services. For any questions or to schedule an appointment with us, call our office today at (903) 870-2600. We look forward to your call.
