The Importance of Dealing with Stress for Your Health
As a person grows older they begin to pay more attention to their health. This can be for many reasons such as realizing they are not as young as they once were, or having to alter the way in which they live their lives to help accommodate an injury or health condition. Whatever the reason, eventually it becomes clear that one of the causes of poor health in a person’s life can be stress. More importantly, not dealing correctly or effectively with the stress in their life.
What is stress?
Stress is when you are in a heightened state of emotional, or mental strain due to being in a negative circumstance that you find uncomfortable, or are unable to remove yourself from. There are many different kinds of stress that all happen for different reasons, all of which have different levels of severity, intensity, and duration. For example, one prominent cause of long-term stress for many people in the current climate is the fear surrounding a recession being on the rise. Everybody needs some form of income to survive, and if people feel that their source of income is at risk then naturally worry, and stress will set in. If this is something you are struggling with then there is more about the topic here.
Why is stress bad?
Stress, like anything in life, will not harm you in moderation. However, if left untreated or undealt with, it can lead to a variety of health issues both mentally and physically. Some of the most common problems can include but are not limited to anxiety, depression, lack of sleep, heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes, muscle pain, weight gain, and even loss of memory and concentration. This is why it is extremely important to be aware of how stressed you are, how often you feel stressed, how intense the stress feels, and over what period of time you are feeling stressed.
The benefits of dealing with stress
At times, especially if you are feeling stressed, run-down, depressed, or hopeless, it can feel like there is no point in trying to get better, help yourself, or improve the situation that you are in. But here are several benefits that you should see almost instantly and will receive if you decide to work on your stress levels.
#1 It will help you meet your goals
If you take steps in reducing your stress you will find that any task you set your mind to will become much easier. Your brain fog will have cleared up and you will feel much more motivated to complete the goals you have set for yourself. You will also prove to yourself that you are a lot stronger mentally, and a lot more capable of controlling the direction in which your life is headed than you first thought.
#2 You will connect more with yourself
When consumed by stress, and other negative thoughts and feelings it can be easy to lose yourself. If you decide to deal with the stressful situations rather than just ignore them, eventually you will begin to feel a lot more like your old self again. You might even find that you can reconnect with yourself on a deeper and more spiritual level, which in turn helps to open many more possibilities on your healing journey.
#3 General life improvements
Dealing with stress isn’t as easy as taking a tablet to cure a headache. However, if you put the work in gradually, then bit by bit you will notice small improvements everywhere in your life, leading to a dramatic change overall. Once you are effectively dealing with your stress your whole life will seem different, and you will likely have a completely different outlook on life too.
How to deal with stress
So, you know what stress is, and why it is bad for you. You also know some of the benefits that you will receive if you start to deal with your stress levels. Now all you need to know is how you can deal with your stress, and how you can effectively remove it from your life. However, even if you can locate the cause of your stress, sometimes it isn’t as easy as just removing it from your life, so instead, you need to figure out how to deal with it effectively. Here are several ways and techniques you could attempt to implement into your life to help reduce or eliminate your stress.
#1 Exercise more
Exercising regularly can greatly help with, and lower your stress levels. Not only will it release positive chemicals such as endorphins from your brain, but it will help you burn off some of your frustration or worries. After exercising you should have a clearer mind, and feel a little more motivated. You don’t need to have a heavy session at the gym to class something as exercise, even a gentle walk is sufficient.
#2 Reduce screen time
One way that people like to relax is by playing video games, watching films or series on TV, and scrolling through social media. While these are perfectly fine in moderation, too much of it could start to negatively impact you. There are many benefits to cutting down your screen time such as, less time spent comparing your life to others on social media, more time to focus and work on yourself and your life, and less time sitting down feeling sorry for yourself.
#3 Meditation
Sitting quietly with your thoughts and reflecting on how the situations you are in are affecting you can be a great way to not only figure out solutions to your problems, but you are also giving your body and mind time to reflect peacefully on a potentially volatile situation. This can help you come to terms with and accept where you are in life. Once you accept your circumstances, often you will feel a lot more peaceful and less stressed.
If you are struggling with stress, why not try one of these examples? You could also talk to a friend or trusted person about what you are struggling with. As more and more people look for natural alternatives for stress, medical cannabis has emerged as a leading contender. Recent studies suggest that it could be an effective treatment for managing stress. If you are finding it too hard, then never be afraid to reach out and seek professional advice or help.
