3 Ways to Manage Stress
By Donna Stark
Stress from your career, relationships, finances, and health can significantly impact your overall well-being and quality of life. It can lead to serious medical conditions, such as heart disease, depression, and diabetes, and has even been shown to suppress the body's immune system. And if that's not enough, many people who live with chronic stress have trouble sleeping, concentrating, and focusing, and will oftentimes, find their daily productivity levels decline. Nobody wins when stress comes into the picture, but what can actually be done about it?
Managing Your Stress
Fortunately, there are several things you can do if the weight of stress is bearing down on your shoulders. Take a look at the following exercises that will help your body naturally combat the effects of stress so you can manage your days (and your life!) with ease and in good health.
- Yoga - Stress can be released through the stretching and controlled breathing that is practiced during a yoga session. Yoga helps to reduce the levels of cortisol, your body's stress hormone, and is known to promote relaxation. It can even help reduce sleep interruptions! But the best thing about yoga is that you can do it anywhere, so sprinkle some yoga poses throughout your day or sign up for a class. It won't take long for you to notice a huge difference in how you feel.
- Meditation - Meditation may not eliminate your stress but it will help you manage it better than ever before. By learning how to calm your mind and body, your heart rate and breathing may slow down, your immune system may function better, and your focus and creativity can increase. Meditation pairs nicely with yoga but you can also practice it on its own. And it doesn't require a lot of time either. Just a few minutes at a time can change the course of your day!
- Swimming - If you like water, swimming may be the best option yet. Swimming is great for reducing stress because like your other workouts, it releases endorphins, your body's feel-good chemicals. It requires complete focus on breathing and movements while also being extremely calming with the soft splashing of water and the muffled sounds of the outside world. Even just a few laps can put you in a better mood, so why not give it a try?
Living Well
It's time to perfect the techniques that can help you combat the effects of stress. Your health, relationships, and quality of life depend on it, so start today! And if you need help on how to begin, come on in to see your local chiropractors at The Joint Chiropractic! They will be more than happy to get you back on the path to stress-free days.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Apopka, Fla.