Physical Wellbeing

Stress affects your health. Here’s healthy ways to manage stress

These days, we are pulled in a thousand different directions and it can cause us to feel overwhelmed and stressed. It’s important to be mindful of how we are spending our time because it can directly affect our mood, sleep, and other aspects of our physical wellbeing. But how? Let’s take a look at various ways we can slow down and bring mindfulness to our daily lives. 

The Challenge

The next time you’re feeling stressed, implement one of the following coping skills to combat your feelings. Journal your stressor and the way you coped with it.

In a recent study, in a year's time frame, 74% of people felt so stressed they have been overwhelmed or unable to cope. According to Thriveworks, constant stress can lead to:

• Mental health problems

• Sleep problems

• Cardiovascular disease

• Digestive problems

• Immune system dysfunction

• Cognitive problems 

Since we know that there are long term effects of stress, it’s time to chat about how we can cope with it. A little stress in your life can be positive, but here are some healthy ways to stop letting stress impair your day-to-day life:

• Take breaks from media consumption. Although social media and the news can be very informative, it can be very triggering to your stress. Consider taking a break from world news, and social media for a couple of days.
• Implement Self Care. Eat healthy, exercise, get plenty of sleep, and give yourself a break if you feel stressed out.
• Take care of your body. Take deep breaths, stretch, and meditate; Avoid excessive alcohol, tobacco, and substance use; and stay hydrated
• Make time to unwind. Take time to focus on an activity that brings you joy such as spending time with family or friends, volunteering, painting, or sewing
• Talk to others. If you take anything away from this, let it be that you are not alone. Chat with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling.
• Recognize when you need more help. If problems continue and intensify, talk to a psychologist, social worker, or professional counselor.