10 Simple Ways to Manage Stress

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Stress is something that many people feel from time to time, and in small quantities, it may help you get things accomplished. However, if you have too much, this can be harmful for your health, and could lead to you searching for ways to lessen it.

Simple Ways to Manage Stress

Here’s a look at 10 ways to manage stress that you can take advantage of. 

Visit Your Doctor

In some instances, you may be experiencing stress due to a medical condition. If you meet with your doctor, they will be able to confirm or rule out medical reasons for your stress.

If you are experiencing a medical issue, you should do what you can to get treated for it right away.

A doctor should also be able to suggest different ways to limit stress.

Get Some Sleep

Getting the right amount of sleep might help you get your stress under control. Shoot for 6-8 hours a night and see how you feel.

Not getting enough sleep may cause you to experience stress, which is something you’d probably like to prevent.

Try to keep your room cool and comfortable throughout the night, so you are able to stay asleep once you fall asleep.

Eat Right

Even when you are on the go often, there are still ways to improve your diet. You can incorporate more smoothies into the equation, opt for meal prep ahead of time, or even order meal kits to be delivered to your door.

Try to add more fruits and vegetables into your diet where you can and be sure you are eating the proper number of calories. Ingesting too few or too many can have negative consequences.

Food is the fuel that runs your body so keep this in mind when you are deciding what to eat.

Exercise

It is also vital to get your body moving. Exercise is able to help you reduce your stress. Have you ever noticed once you walk away from a situation that is causing you stress, you may be able to come up with a solution for the problem?

This is the same principle that comes into play when you are exercising to get rid of stress. Shoot for at least 30 minutes a day, 3 to 5 times a week. You don’t have to lift weights or go to the gym to exercise either.

Anything that gets your heart rate up counts, like walking around the block or running around with your child.

Practice Mindfulness

At times, you may become stressed because you are overwhelmed. When this happens, you should try to take a few minutes to practice mindfulness.

This is the idea of staying in the present moment. One exercise you can do to practice this principle is to close your eyes and picture all your favorite things in the room.

Then open your eyes and take a quick look at all of these things. This can remind you that you have a lot to be thankful for, and the thing causing you stress may not be that big of a deal.

Take Some Me Time

Anytime you are feeling at your wit’s end, it is important to do something just for you.

Take a few minutes to drink a hot cup of tea or curl up with a good book. Even talking to a close friend on the phone may be able to knock your stress down.

You might need to take a break from stressful things and doing something you enjoy can lend a hand with this.

Keep in mind that taking even a few minutes to relax may be able to make a difference in your stress level. 

Do Something Fun

Besides just doing something for you, it may be beneficial to take the time to do something fun as well.

If you go to a movie with your partner or play a board game with your child, this may be just the type of distraction you need to keep from being stressed.

You could also consider taking up a hobby or enjoying a day off to do things that you like to do.

Write in a Journal

Another activity that may help you alleviate some of the burdens of stress is writing in a journal.

At times, when you are able to get your thoughts on paper, they may not seem as serious as they were in your head.

Devote a few minutes a day to journaling each day and note if you feel better. If it helps you, do what you can to keep up with it.

Stay Away From Stressful Situations

You may not know what is causing you stress in certain instances. However, when you do know what is triggering stress, do your best to stay away from those situations when possible.

For instance, if you are stressed when you have to go to the grocery store, think about having your groceries delivered. This can be an easy solution and save you some of the stress of having to grocery shop in person.

Talk to a Therapist

When your stress level is concerning and you don’t know what else to do, you might want to consider therapy.

A therapist should be able to work with you on ways to approach stressful situations, help you understand why you are experiencing stress, and talk to you about ways to lessen it.

Additionally, a therapist can be there just for you to talk to, if this is what you need. To find out even more about therapy, look into BetterHelp. 

Conclusion

Stress is something that is not easy to avoid, so it is a good idea to be able to handle it when it pops up.

Think about these tips when you are experiencing stress and see if they are able to make a difference in your life.

Besides that, be sure to meet with your doctor to get checked out, as well as a therapist when you wish to, so they might be able to help you further. 

Marie Miguel Biography – Guest Writer

Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health- related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with BetterHelp.com. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.