Stress Relief: Habits that can Save your Life
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Why Do I Need Stress Relief?
Everyone experiences stress at some point in their life. For most of us, it happens every day. For some of us, barely a moment goes by in our daily lives that we’re not stressed about something.
Finances. Shuttling children to different activities. Managing school and homework. Managing school, work and home responsibilities.
Some stress is good and can help us perform under certain circumstances, and in some cases it is unavoidable. But unrelenting and prolonged periods of stress have been shown to increase the risk for heart attack and stroke, and other symptoms such as headaches, upset stomach, back pain and sleep disruption.
Lack of sleep in particular over a long period of time can make it more difficult for your body to fight off infections and colds. Stress can also affect your relationships with other people and compromise your ability to work.
The way a person manages his/her stress can make a huge difference in his/her emotional state, physical health and relationships with others.
Stress Relief Strategies
Because everyone’s stressors are different and people react differently to them, no one particular stress relief strategy is right for everyone. It’s important to try a few and see which works and which doesn’t, and keep trying until you find the right activity or combination of activities.
The first step in any stress relief strategy, however, is the decision to change how you deal with stress. This is crucial.
Perhaps you’ve never managed stress well. Perhaps your previous stress relief practices haven’t been as effective. Perhaps there is a new stressor in your life that just doesn’t allow the time you once had for your favorite stress relief activities (ie: new baby). Whatever your situation, recognize that you need to do something -- that is the first step.
Second, identify your stress triggers. Some people get stressed watching or listening to the news. For others tests or meetings are stressors.
We value and respect the experiences of all of our HERWriters, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.
Add a Comment2 Comments
Great piece. Really enjoyed the part about identifying the stress triggers. Thanks Darlene.
January 8, 2012 - 10:38pmThis Comment
Thank you and you're welcome!
January 9, 2012 - 7:11am