Physicians encourage patients to reduce stress in their lives. However, while some pressure enables us to keep mentally alert and move toward healthy goals, excess stress can turn to overwhelm and depression. Thus most mental health professionals recommend their clients work toward lowering their stress levels.
Furthermore, stress reduction can have other implications beyond assisting people in achieving better mental health. For example, when humans reduce stress, they become more open to their personal growth, allowing them to become better friends and deepening their connections with others, enabling improved well-being. When choosing to become mentally healthy, people learn that five tips can help them take the first steps toward reducing stress in their everyday lives.
- Consider Mindfulness
Counselors often advise patients to practice mindfulness training to reduce stress. Moreover, mindfulness training can also benefit those suffering from chronic pain and illness. Expressly, doctors understand that stress reduction techniques may enable those with chronic medical conditions, like dysautonomia, to lessen patient pain levels. Thus, mindfulness can play a part in a full spectrum of patient treatment options.
Mindfulness training helps practitioners acknowledge and accept the variety of thoughts, feelings, emotions and sensations that all humans routinely experience daily. Knowing that the internal stories or beliefs many consider trustworthy in reality do not stem from a truthful place but could instead find their basis in their fears and longings can allow people to see them differently. Understanding this can lead to believing healthier stories about themselves, which can result in reduced stress levels and better mental health outcomes.
- Remember to Breathe
A primary lesson actors learn when starting training acknowledges that all acting is on the breath. The idea centers on the breath as the vehicle through which the wide range of human emotions and feelings can express themselves through the body. Similarly, focusing on breathing also assists those who want to reduce their stress levels, as it brings a calming effect to the body. For example, try sitting or lying comfortably, and then inhale slowly and as deeply as feels restful for you for a count of four, then exhale slowly for the same number of counts. Repeat this a few times until your muscles relax and your mind starts to clear. You can use breathing techniques like this at any moment of the day when you notice your tension and stress levels rising, and it offers an easy way to soothe and calm yourself.
- Add Exercise to Your Life
Endorphin production resulting from physical exercise remains a hot medical topic, and this knowledge can entice you to add exercise to your daily habits. Your body produces endorphins through aerobic activity, and they reduce your physical perception of mental and physical pain. When you suffer from anxiety, exercise offers an easy way to begin feeling better immediately, improving moods moving forward with your day. With your doctor’s advice and approval on best practices, exercise can also aid in keeping your weight healthy, enhancing cardiovascular health and reducing the risk for significant conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
- Improve Sleep Habits
Although getting enough sleep when stressed can prove challenging, you can begin to set yourself up for success in this life area. For example, stop watching digital screens an hour before going to bed to reduce the stimulation in your body. Additionally, have an evening routine where you might shower and brush your teeth, then read something you enjoy for a few minutes to enable you to relax. These habits can lead to more restful sleep.
- Connect With Others
When feeling stressed, it helps to remember that all humans sometimes experience this emotion, and therefore you are not alone. Connect in meaningful ways with people you appreciate in your life. Those connections can aid you when getting through tough times, and you can acknowledge that you have support and do not have to go through difficult experiences alone.
Many discover who they are, what matters to them and how to become better friends due to how they deal with stress. Enhanced self-care in this area can lead to improved relationships with others and a richer overall life experience.
