In our busy lives and there can be many internal and external triggers that can cause us to feel anxious, rushed, and tense. When we are stressed, our brain perceives there to be a threat to our survival somewhere in the immediate environment and a hormone called cortisol is released. This heightens our heart rate and makes us more reactive and sometimes emotional.
While you can’t avoid stress there are several strategies you can use to relieve stress and stop it from becoming overwhelming.
- Pause: Breathing exercises or even counting to 10 can stop the cortisol response from becoming overwhelming
- Exercise: When you feel stress symptoms starting, doing some form of exercise, even a short walk can help boost your mood.
- Focus on what you accomplish: Instead of focusing on what you still need to do or the things you didn’t get done instead focus on what you accomplished for the day. Practicing gratitude and staying positive can help relieve and prevent stress.
- Use Lists or Goals: Writing a physical list of things to do, allows you to stay on task & cross things off. This helps you to visually see what you have accomplished for the day. Lists can also help reduce stress by allowing you to get the to-dos out of your head and onto the paper.
- It’s okay to say NO: When you are already busy or stressed the easiest option can sometimes be saying yes, but this can add to your stress.
- Try Yoga: Joining a yoga class can help through breathing exercises and muscle relaxation. Yoga is not only a good form of exercise but can help reduce stress by encouraging meditation and relaxation.
