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Do you know how stress affects the body? Life can be challenging, and sometimes the stresses of our daily lives can prove very heavy indeed while you can draw some comfort from the fact that the issue of anxiety and tension that you may feel is embedded within you is one that affects a large proportion of society, you are no doubt still hoping for some semblance of calm and resolution to your worries.

Under Pressure: How to Handle Life's Everyday Stress?
How to Deal With the Stress

The good news is that in 2024 and beyond, there are more and more avenues to consider taking as you seek to rectify, or reduce, a problem that may well be impacting upon every facet of your life, Will stress kill you?

Though the road to a more peaceful state of mind is by no means a standardized one, and no two individuals are the same when it comes to alleviating stress, oxidative stress and tension, here are some tips that we feel may be helpful in getting you back to feeling a little more human.

1. Consider Online Therapy

Why stress management is important? The recent coronavirus pandemic saw a real surge and increase in usage of online therapy services, and this continues post-pandemic and might be the right solution for you.

If previously you’d considered some form of counseling or therapy but were reticent about doing so in a one-on-one setting in an environment that didn’t feel comfortable for you, then the option of seeking assistance and help via an online route is now easier and more accessible than ever.

Now your search for the best online counseling services is a wide one, and the power is well and truly back in your control. This is a huge leap forward. There are many reasons why seeing a therapist in person may have proven a problem for individuals, from issues around living a hectic life and not being able to find time to travel to a specific location to personal concerns related to any potential stigma they may have felt about visiting a relevant clinic of service.

2. Healthy Body, Healthy Mind

We should know why stress management is important? It may sound like a cliche, but as with most cliches, there is more than just a little element of truth, but the maxim of a healthy body and healthy mind is a very accurate one. Adding a little amount of exercise with stress balls to your regime can work wonders.

Not only does exercise stimulate your body and mind, but it also helps you to stress relief, think more clearly and take your mind away from other aspects that may be causing you anxiety, oxidative stress and stress.

This doesn’t mean you have to visit the gym five times a day; it might just mean taking a little stroll or jogging near your home, use stress relievers like stress balls, stress hives, etc. Do whatever amount of exercise you feel comfortable with, and then see how you progress. You’ll be shocked at how helpful this can be in terms of easing your worried mind.

3. Get Enough Sleep, But Not Too Much

Often stress rash and tension can lead to a restless night, and the lack of sleep can then, in turn, lead to more anxiety, and then you can find yourself in a vicious circle. Having a good night’s sleep is always an excellent way to bring an element of calmness to your life and can help center you for the day ahead.

The flip side is that sleeping too much can be problematic. Often when we are depressed or not feeling at our greatest, we may retreat to our beds and hope to find solace there. This isn’t the answer, and you should look to retain a healthy balance when it comes to a regular sleep routine is one of the stress management techniques
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4. Eat Well

Do you know how stress affects your health? When not feeling great, we tend to let our physical selves suffer. That might mean that our diets are affected. We may end up eating far more processed food, taking comfort from fast food, and in the end, this can prove problematic for our nutrition.

Eating well can help provide fuel for our bodies, which can help us be more alert and in tune with ourselves. Also, let’s not devalue the importance of eating a balanced diet or the benefits of eating delicious food that has real benefits for our minds and bodies.

When we eat food that we greatly enjoy, in whatever form that takes, we are also helping to nourish our minds, and by doing so, we can help to ease the strain and pressures that might be haunting our minds.

5. Work and Life Balance

Often the stresses we feel originate from outside the home and tend to be down to issues at work. We can often find ourselves overworked and bringing the travails of our work back home with us. Establishing a work/life balance has always been tough, and in 2022 it’s more complicated than ever.

We are often asked to go that extra mile, to work longer and more unsociable hours, and before you know it, every waking hour is spent either working or thinking about work, which is not healthy in the short, medium, or long-term.

It may sound easier than it is, but you need to set boundaries both internally and externally. If this means explaining to your boss that you can’t work this coming Saturday, then so be it, even if that means having an uncomfortable conversation. The alternative is that you take on board every request and every task, and pretty soon, you’ll be swamped.

Fortunately, most workplaces have a more forward-thinking approach to the conundrum of separating work and home life, and you must not be afraid to speak up about these matters.

6. Socialize More

What stress does to the body? When we feel stressed or anxious, many of us retreat within ourselves, and that may well lead to you spending far more time on our own. There are benefits to having plenty of ‘me time’, but equally, there are advantages to socializing with others. You may feel as if your present state of mind isn’t conducive to socializing, but the key element of doing so is to help you achieve some form of normalcy.

Often when we are stressed, it can quickly become all we think about, and the distraction of seeing others and doing other things can help us to re-center and while the intention isn’t to ignore the root of what is bothering us, the mere fact we can focus on something else, even for a short period, can be a great way to reduce that tension that is driving the stress you feel.

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2 Sources

We review published medical research in respected scientific journals to arrive at our conclusions about a product or health topic. This ensures the highest standard of scientific accuracy.

1. Diet, Stress and Mental Health https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7468813/
2.Generalized Anxiety Disorder https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441870/
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Dr. Jonice Webb, Ph.D.

Dr. Jonice Webb is a licensed clinical psychologist. She has pioneered the topic of Childhood Emotional Neglect CEN. She is the author