Stress is often regarded as your body’s natural reaction while adapting to changes that are inevitable in our lives. Everyone knows that stress is never good for us. This is because it can be debilitating, and for most people, stress could lead to all sorts of ailments such as irritability, difficulty in sleeping, headaches and more.
During this period of the global Covid-19 pandemic, people have been subjected to stress which can be detrimental. Thus, this article will guide on ways to cope with stress and live a happy life.
1.Stress Prevention
One of the best ways to reduce stress is by getting rid of the unnecessary reasons for stress. You ought to examine the root causes and eliminate them whenever possible. Whether it is your school, work or even your commute, just work to figure it out and make some positive changes for the better.
However, if you cannot clearly determine the triggers for your stress, you could look for a pattern in your day to day routine by coming up with a stress diary. Write down everything that makes you either anxious or nervous. After a while, you will be able to come up with a pattern from your notes. Then, determine what causes your stress and eliminate it.
- Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a traditional form of Chinese medicine. In this practice, some thin needles are inserted into a human body. It is often considered very relaxing and calming. The acupuncture process is easy if a well-skilled acupuncturist is involved.
Typically, there is little or no pain experienced during the process contrary to what most people assume. The needles are placed quite gently onto precise acupoints and retained for about thirty minutes after which they are removed.
- Listening to Music
If you tend to feel overwhelmed by any situation, you can always take a break and listen to some music that would help you relax. Calm music has been proven to have a positive effect towards both the brain and body. It may as well lower high blood pressure as well as revue cortisol, a hormone that is linked to stress.
- Eat Right
More often than not, eating a proper diet and stress levels are related. When we are anxious, stressed or overwhelmed, we tend to forget about the most fundamental thing which is eating a well-balanced diet. We end up taking fatty and sugary snacks as food.
These sugary snacks or foods should be replaced with healthier fruits and vegetables. Also, fish with high omega 3 levels also aid in the reduction of stress levels.
- Laughter
Laughter is the best medicine. When you laugh, a hormone known as endorphin helps improve your mood as well as decreases the stress-causing hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. Laughter also tricks your nerves into making you have a brighter mood.
If you cannot bring yourself to laugh by thinking off a fun moment you may have experienced, try watching your favorite comedy show. Or, do something that you are sure would make you lighten your moods.
- Meditation is Key
Lastly but not the least, the concept of being mindful is mainly a part of having somatic and meditative approaches to your mental wellbeing. Most of the handy tips suggested on this guide tend to provide instant relief but you can as well incorporate lifestyle changes that render more effectiveness.
You can always try yoga, Pilates, tai chi and meditation classes to help improve both your physical and mental health.
With that said, we hope this guide has been resourceful in helping you manage your stress levels. Remember stress is not the end of the world. Stress levels are easily manageable. It is important to control stress rather than letting them control you and everything will end up being just fine. More handy tips are breathing easy, better sleep, exercise and more.