Healthy Tips to manage your stress and improve your well-being

Quick Facts About Stress

 

 

Stress affects both the mind & body, and impacts overall health & well-being.

Unmanaged stress can lead to an increased risk of both mental & physical problems, such as infection, illness, diabetes, obesity, and heart disease, as well as depressive and anxiety disorders.

There are both healthy & unhealthy ways that people deal with stress.  Learn healthy ways to manage your stress and avoid the negative consequences of stress.

  10 Tips to manage your stress

• Identify and avoid the source(s) of your stress - Try to solve the problem that is causing you stress, or learn to cope with it positively. Don't avoid, deny, or withdraw from the problem, because it will continue to exist and affect you.

• Access social and family support - Talk to someone you trust, whether it be a friend, spouse, family member, or counselor. Social support has been found to reduce stress and improve mental and physical well-being.

• Learn and practice relaxation techniques - Take the time to slow down and relax. Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, visualization, and yoga reduce stress and improve health.
  

• Be physically active - Exercise reduces stress and improves health and well-being. Do something that you enjoy doing (like walking, jogging, swimming, biking, yoga, or playing the Wii) and you will reap the stress-reducing benefits immediately.

• Get enough sleep - Sleep helps the body to repair itself and reduces stress. A lack of sleep can give you more stress.

• Balance your time - Time management skills can help you find balance, order, and control in your life - all of which reduce stress. Procrastination increases stress.

• Don't use drugs or alcohol - Drugs temporarily numb you to stress, but in the long term they undermine health, well-being, and can worsen stressful problems, rather than fixing them.
  

• Avoid caffeine & energy drinks - Stimulants keep the body from relaxing and can overtax your body. It is also important to know that you can overdose on caffeine!
•  Talk to others. Share your problems and how you are feeling and coping with a parent, friend, counselor, doctor, or pastor.
•  Eat healthy, well-balanced meals and drink plenty of  water