When pursuing your best health journey, there are certain natural aspects, or processes, of human biology that a person will have to learn how to master. One of those natural processes is stress. Stress is a sincere, reasonable, and even necessary part of human physiology and plays a vital role in the survival of the human species.
Stress and related stress hormones help people achieve a certain level of focus, clarity, and energy when needed. This could be during an exam where you need to have a certain level of clarity and focus that stress helps you achieve. It could also be a situation where you may be physically in danger, and stress hormones can help direct blood, nutrients, and airflow to the proper organs of the body.
In general, stress plays an essential role in humanity’s fight or flight mechanisms, and without this vital process, the human race may not have a great chance at survival. While stress is an integral part of life, it can also be a very harmful and even devastating process as well.
Just like appetite, energy levels, sleep duration, and metabolism, stress will be unique to every person. Finding out how your body deals with anxiety is a big part of the journey and essential to learning how to control stress. Where stress can become a problem for a person’s health is when it is experienced in a situation that doesn’t call for it, or is out of proportion.
For example, stress hormones are designed to help build the body’s natural response to physical danger, however, when there isn’t a physical outlet for those hormones, it can cause issues. When a person experiences too much stress, they can feel many different physical abnormalities. Headaches, mood changes, anxiety, fatigue, and an unhealthy shift in appetite can all affect someone who is experiencing excess stress.
The good news is that there are ways that a person can start to experience relief from stress and start practicing control over it. While a medical professional should always be consulted over any suspected medical emergency, and or condition, here are some effective ways at reducing stress in daily life!
1. Prepare For Waking Up The Night Before
The beginning and the end of the day will always be the essential parts. How someone starts and finishes, their day can play a huge role in stress management and feelings of accomplishment. While most people are familiar with starting your day correctly, the question is, when do you start this process?
Taking time at the end of your day to set up your morning area for success the next day can positively impact both ends of your day. Take time at the end of your day to review and see how you felt about it. Once that’s done, spend some time thinking about how you want to start the next day and get some practical things in place.
That might look like setting out your journal, your favorite coffee mug, or getting your breakfast arranged in the fridge ready to grab. Whatever you do, by prepping the night before, you can create an easy transition the following day that can help promote feelings of calm and help you feel prepared for the day at hand.
2. Try A Water Enhancer
Food and water play a huge role in stress management. The focus should never be on eating more or less – but on getting a healthy amount. If a person deals with stress, these feelings may be exacerbated by dehydration. A water enhancer, like MiO, can help to give water more electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals and enhance the taste.
The question of is mio bad for you (or any water enhancer, for that matter) might come up when looking at various water enhancers. The bottom line about an enhancer like MiO is that it does provide an excellent supplement for getting more water in your life, as it is more healthy than soda; however, because of its sugar and dye content, it should never wholly replace water. So drink it as a way to get a great, delicious pick-me-up in the middle of the day – instead of that can of soda, but don’t add it to every glass.
3. Start A Gratitude Journal
A gratitude journal is a beautiful way to focus on the positive things in your life. This can be done first thing in the morning or right before bed. You should write down 3-5 things you’re grateful for from that day. It could be as simple as “I’m grateful for my bed” or “I’m grateful for my cat Snuggles”.
The important part is not what you write but that you take the time out of each day to sit down and think about the good things in your life – no matter how small they may seem. Over time, this exercise can help to retrain your brain to focus on the positive, which can help to reduce stress overall.
4. Invest In A Good Mattress
This may seem odd to reduce stress but bear with us. How often have you gone to bed stressed to wake up feeling even worse? A poor-quality mattress can make it harder for a person to get restful sleep, leading to increased stress during the day.
On the flip side, a comfortable and supportive, high-quality mattress can help a person feel more rested, leading to improved moods and decreased stress levels. So, if you’ve been dealing with increased stress levels, it might be time to invest in a better mattress.
5. Take A Break From Technology
In our age of constant connectivity, it’s important to remember to disconnect now and again. Dedicating some time each day – even if it’s just 30 minutes – to disconnecting from technology can help to reduce stress. Use this time to do something calming, like reading a book, taking a bath, or going outside.
This break from technology will help you relax and recharge to be more productive and present when you are working. And, if you find yourself struggling to disconnect, there are even apps that can help with that!
Conclusion
Finding ways to help manage and control your stress might seem overwhelming, but it’s something that can be done. There are many excellent, all-natural ways of doing this, from proper diet to healthy exercise. These two methods are something that you may not have thought of but can help you on this journey as you pursue your best health and learn how to control your stress.
