Stress can affect you both physically and emotionally. Trying to juggle the demands of your work, family, friends, and other obligations can leave you exhausted and barely coping. While you can’t always avoid the sources of stress, you can prepare yourself to deal with it more effectively. Reducing stress is something you should work on every day.
Sleep Long Enough
You may have a million things to do, but your body doesn’t care. It still needs 7 to 8 hours of solid, restful sleep per day. Sleeping slows down the systems in your body, such as breathing and heart rate, relaxes your muscles, and helps stabilize your hormones.
Setting a regular bedtime routine is the best way to train your body to sleep well. Start relaxing your body and mind a couple of hours before going to bed. Meditation or a warm bath will do wonders. Keep your bedroom dark and quiet, and be sure to wake up at the same time every day.
Get Some Sun
Your mother was right: fresh air and sunshine are what you need. Take some time every day to get out into the sun. Sunlight will stimulate your body’s production of feel-good hormones like serotonin, which can help you better handle stress. It also gives you vitamin D, which keeps your body strong and your energy levels high.
If it’s cloudy outside, don’t worry; indirect sunlight will also be beneficial. On a sunny day, be sure to wear sunscreen for protection. Sunscreen can reduce your exposure to harmful UV rays. Yet, you’ll still get the helpful effects of sunlight.
Drink Water
When you get dehydrated, your levels of cortisone, the stress hormone, become more concentrated. This can have harmful effects on your heart rate, blood sugar, immune system, and mood. Your entire body and mind are stressed.
Drinking water—not soda, coffee, or other beverages—is the best way to flush out wastes and harmful chemicals, preparing your body to calmly respond to the situations of the day. Water also helps regulate your circulatory system and your breathing. You’ll feel and function better.
Nobody can avoid hectic schedules, problems, and frustrations all the time, but you can avoid letting the stress bring you down. Taking the time to develop healthy habits and incorporating them into your daily life is the best thing you can do to reduce your stress.
Check out this article on how to make healthier diet choices for better energy!