Engaging in activities like self-care may help reduce stress and anxiety.
These can include exercise and mindfulness practices.
Many people deal with stress every day.
Work, family issues, health concerns, and financial obligations are parts of everyday life that commonly contribute to heightened stress levels.
Certain factors may affect your vulnerability to stress.
These can include genetics level of social support coping style personality type
Minimizing the chronic stress of daily life as much as possible can support your overall health.
Chronic stress can increase your risk of health conditions, including heart disease, anxiety disorders, and depression.
participating in exercise 2 days per week significantly reduced overall perceived stress and perceived stress due to uncertainty.
Plus, the exercise routine significantly improved self-reported depression.
Regular exercise has been shown to improve alot of common mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression!
Your diet affects every aspect of your health, including your mental health.
people who follow a diet high in ultra-processed foods and added sugar are more likely to experience higher perceived stress levels.
Being chronically stressed may lead you to overeat and reach for highly palatable foods, which may harm your overall health and mood.
Not eating enough whole foods may increase your risk of deficiencies in nutrients essential for regulating stress and mood.
Minimizing your intake of highly processed foods and beverages
can help ensure your body is properly nourished
While smartphones, computers, and tablets are often necessary, using them too often may increase stress levels.
several studies have linked excessive smartphone use with increased stress levels and mental health disorders.
Spending too much time in front of screens is associated with increased stress levels in adults and kids.
screen time may negatively affect sleep, which can lead to high stress levels.
Practice self care by going for a walk outside, taking a bath, lighting candles and reading a good book.
Self-care doesn’t have to be elaborate or complicated. It simply means tending to your well-being and happiness.
Journaling may help stress and anxiety and provide a positive outlet for your thoughts and emotions.
expressive writing or therapeutic writing can benefit people managing chronic health conditions, including but not limited to mental health conditions like depression.
more proactive self-care behaviors, and other healthful behaviors, such as taking prescribed medications.
Reduce your caffeine intake Caffeine is a chemical in coffee, tea, chocolate, and energy drinks that stimulates your central nervous system.
Consuming too much may worsen anxiety on the subject. Overconsumption may also harm your sleep. In turn, this may increase stress and anxiety symptoms.
People have different thresholds for how much caffeine they can tolerate. If caffeine makes you jittery or anxious, consider cutting back by replacing coffee or energy drinks with decaffeinated coffee, herbal tea, or water.
Spending time with friends and family
Social support from friends and family may help you get through stressful times and cope with stress.
Having a social support system is important for your overall mental health.
If you’re feeling alone and don’t have friends or family to depend on, social support groups may help.
Consider joining a club or sports team or volunteering for a cause that’s important to you.
One way to help reduce stress and protect your mental health may be to say “no” more often.
This is especially true if you take on more than you can handle because juggling many responsibilities may leave you feeling overwhelmed.
Being selective about what you take on and saying “no” to
Although stress is unavoidable, being chronically stressed takes a toll on your physical and mental health.
Fortunately, several evidence-based strategies can help you reduce stress and improve your overall psychological well-being.
Exercise, mindfulness, spending time with a pet, minimizing screen time, and getting outside more often are all effective methods.
