Manage Stress the Healthy Way

We all deal with stress - the unrelenting circus of ups and downs throughout our lives. And whether your stress stems from bill payments that almost put you into cardiac arrest, the deadline due tomorrow that you won’t finish unless you discover time travel, or a fight you had with your significant other (whom you’re currently giving the silent treatment to) - We all have stress, and we all have different ways of coping with it.

Some people max out credit cards, some drink well before five o’clock, some eat anything and everything, and then there are the scary ones who bottle it in (tic, toc, tic, toc). But you can only buy so many things; drink so many cocktails, eat so many chips, and bottle in so much. Those methods will only create more stress in the long run. If you're reading this thinking "This is how I handle stress" - Then maybe the next time you are stressed out, try one of the following methods instead, because not only are they proven to help alleviate stress, but they also won’t come back to bite you in the ass.

Get Some Fresh Air

I find it amazing how much sitting down for several hours can negatively effect my mind. Not only will my focus and drive dwindle to nothing, but I also start feeling anxious and irritable. I know myself well enough to know that when I start feeling antsy I need to get up and move around, or else I’ll slowly become a stressed out you know what. Giving your eyes a break from those florescent lights and your blood circulating properly by going for even just a 15-20 minute walk can do wonders for your mood and clarity.


Work Out
When you’re stressed, working up a sweat is probably the last thing you want to do.  I know when I’m stressed it feels like I have to literally drag my feet along with the rest of my body to go workout, but I do it because I know I’ll feel a million times better when I’m done. Exercise is a known stress reliever because it helps lower stress hormones like cortisol, while boosting the body's ‘feel-good’ chemicals like endorphins. Try to find it in you to lace up those sneakers and force yourself to workout because the feeling you’ll have when your finished is worth the mental battle to start.

Write About It
Before some of you knock this idea - Studies show that writing out your thoughts is very therapeutic. It’s been proven to help slow down your mind and give you some clarity. And even if you’re not the type to sit down and write your feelings and the very thought of it makes you feel awkward, I still say it’s worth a shot. Feeling mildly uncomfortable for five minutes to gain some insight is better then enduring a sleepless night followed by a side of anxiety with your morning coffee.

                                                                            Get More Sleep
 Sleep is one of the most effective ways to ward off stress, and ironically enough - lack of sleep is also one of the biggest causes in creating stress - It can be quite a vicious circle! To help the sleeping process along, try and do things like cutting off your caffeine intake no later then 5pm, put your phone on silent, or unplug your alarm clock and use your cell phone alarm instead, that way you can't be distracted watching the time. Another option is doing breathing exercises to calm your mind. One common breathing exercise is: for about 5 minutes try to imagine a stress ball in front of you and continue staring at “it” as you breathe in and breathe out. Try not to let your mind wander anywhere else, just concentrate on the ball. Seems silly, but it’s known to be highly effective and let’s face it, if you’re already low on Zzz’s, what have you got to lose?