Stress is a common experience in most people. Close to 70% of adults in the US say they feel stress daily. I am going to give you five ways that will relieve stress.
- Exercise
I know it is not something that you want to hear, but exercise is the most important thing you can do to combat stress. Some might think that exercise is stressful enough, but the long-term benefits outweigh the short term. Exercising once a week is not going to work and will end up being more stressful in the end. Exercise needs to be done regularly. Be consistent with a routine.
These are a few reasons for exercising:
- Confidence: When you do exercise regularly, you start to feel more competent and confident in your body.
- Sleep: Lack of sleep causes many effects on the body such as high blood pressure, weight gain, mood changes, memory loss, and etc. With exercise, the quality of sleep is improved and helps with these effects that can cause stress.
- Stress hormones: Exercise lowers the body’s stress hormones (cortisol). It also helps with releasing endorphins that improve your mood and act as natural painkillers.
Find an exercise routine that you will enjoy. It doesn’t have to be going to the gym every day. It could be a walk in the park or on the beach, dancing, yoga, or even pickleball.
2. Vitamins
All vitamins are great to take. Here we will talk about three that will help with stress.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids: These vitamins can help fight depression and anxiety, improve eye health, help with heart diseases, and reduce symptoms of ADHD.
L-Theanine: This vitamin helps with relaxation, Reducing blood pressure, boost the immune system, and improve sleep.
B Vitamins: There are 6 different types to use with stress. B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, B12. All of them help with brain function. They help with nerve function.
3. Reduce Your Caffeine Intake
Gotta have that coffee? That is fine. Coffee can be healthy, but that is not the only place to find caffeine. Caffeine is a stimulant that is found in coffee, tea, chocolate and energy drinks. People have different thresholds for how much they can tolerate. Not saying you have to cut it out completely, just that it needs to be limited. Don’t eat the chocolate bar or drink the tea when you go out to eat if you want daily.
4. Write it down
Write down what is stressing you. This allows you to see it and can help you focus on how to fix the problem. Another thing to do is write down what you are grateful for. Gratitude can help relieve stress by focusing on positive thoughts. People go through the day hearing mostly negative things. By writing down the positive, you get to actually see the positive in the day.
5. Stretch
Stretching is as important as exercise. Stretching decreases muscle stiffness. The body doesn’t feel so tense and fatigued all the time. It helps with posture. The muscles are balanced out. Not one muscle is pulling harder than the other. Promotes circulation. It increases the blood supply to the muscles.
Stress will always be in our lives, but how we handle is on us. We have to learn to get our minds off the source of stress. Find the activity or event that helps you with that and run with it.
