Healthy Ways to Destress and Find Balance
Stress is one of those experiences that could eat you alive if you don’t address it. But most of us don’t deal with our stress in healthy ways.
We either ignore it (and let it fester), or we turn to unhealthy habits, distractions, and crutches.
The Problem of Stress
Stress is the body’s natural response to perceived threats. When the brain recognizes something that could potentially be harmful, it tells the body to release adrenaline, constrict muscles, and perform a number of other intentional actions to prepare for “fight” or “flight.”
Some stress is normal, in other words, but chronic stress that persists over hours, days, weeks, or even months, is unhealthy. “Chronic stress can affect both our physical and psychological well-being by causing a variety of problems including anxiety, insomnia, muscle pain, high blood pressure and a weakened immune system,” American Psychological Association explains.
“Research shows that stress can contribute to the development of major illnesses, such as heart disease, depression and obesity.”
Thus, if you’re experiencing chronic stress, you ought to do something about it as soon as possible. Sitting back and waiting for it to get better on its own is not a realistic option. Your physical and mental health may depend on a proactive response.
How to Reduce Stress
Defeating stress sounds great in theory, but where do you start? Here are several tactical suggestions that should get you moving in a positive direction sooner rather than later.
- Try Journaling
Journaling is a great way to manage your stress and process the various emotions you’re feeling at any particular time. You might not be much of a writer, but that’s all right.
As psychologist Elizabeth Scott, PhD, explains, “Journaling allows people to clarify their thoughts and feelings, thereby gaining valuable self-knowledge. It’s also a good problem-solving tool; oftentimes, one can hash out a problem and come up with solutions more easily on paper.”
Even just 10 minutes of journaling at the start or end of your day can significantly improve your mental and emotional health. Give it a try for a couple of weeks and see what happens.
- Travel More
If you’re working 50 or 60 hours a week without taking any time off, you’re probably unable to shift your mindset into a condition of peace and relaxation. This is what makes overworking such a common source of chronic stress.
One antidote is to travel more. Traveling, as opposed to just taking time off at home, allows you to remove yourself physically from your normal, stressful surroundings, which makes it easier to mentally detach and recharge your brain.
But if you choose to travel, make sure you spend time in a relaxed setting such as Jumby Bay Island in Antigua. This 300-acre private island is the perfect place to get away from the mainland and enjoy a little R&R.
- Wake Up Earlier
It might sound counterintuitive, but waking up an hour earlier every morning can do wonders. Rather than driving into the office late and flustered every morning, you’ll have time to ease into your morning and integrate healthy habits that set you up for success.
Whether you spend some time reading and journaling, work out, or cook a healthy breakfast instead of grabbing pastries, this extra time may prove to be powerful.
- Eliminate Unhealthy Habits
Removing stress from your life also requires you to quit unhealthy habits that may be holding you back. These may include smoking, excessive drinking, poor eating habits, toxic relationships, and excessive screen time. Try replacing these unhealthy activities with healthier habits, such as physical activity or art.
- Explore Counseling
You don’t have to experience a traumatic event or receive a diagnosis of mental illness to benefit from seeing a counselor. It’s time that we de-stigmatized counseling and encouraged people to seek it out for such issues as stress. Even attending counseling just once a month can have a positive impact on your life and give you tools to reframe the challenges in your life.
Blast Stress Away
You should kiss chronic stress goodbye now, and begin to enjoy your life the way it’s meant to be lived. This means changing some of your habits, shifting your mindset, and being willing to prioritize your health over such inferior values like productivity and social pressure.
