What is stress?
Stress is a natural human reaction that occurs to everybody. It is unavoidable and can result in physical, emotional, and behavioral effects.
There are three most common types of stress: acute, acute episodic, and chronic.
Acute is the state of being in an uncomfortable and difficult situation. It is a short-term stress that comes and goes quickly. It could be either positive or negative. For example a very heated argument, traffic jam, or even the feeling while riding on a rollercoaster.
Acute episodic is the same as an acute situation but it happens frequently. Episodic stress mostly affects people working in specific professions like healthcare. Smaller situations that are more common can be meeting tiny deadlines.
The last one is chronic stress and is a long-term stress that goes on for weeks or even months. Marriage issues or financial problems are frequently cited as primary problems that lead to chronic stress.
One of the most important habits to get into for stress relief is eating nutritiously. A balanced diet is supports a healthy immune system and the repair of damaged cells. A diet provides energy to help one cope in stressful times.
It is important to be mindful of how you are eating. Eating too quickly, “stress-eating,” can result in weight gain due to slowing down your metabolism as your body conserves energy. Chew food slowly and thoroughly to improve the digestive system.
Mindful eating is a good reminder that people eat because of psychological turbulence and not physiological hunger.
Another way to reduce stress is regular exercise. Physical activity helps lower blood pressure and stress hormone levels.
Walking is a good thing to do every day; it increases breathing and heart rate so more oxygen reaches cells throughout the body. Through exercise, tensions in muscles are reduced. Yoga is also a great combination of physical movement, meditation, control, and light exercise.
Aromatherapy is a great way to make you feel more relaxed and energized. Aromatherapy is where you use essential oils from plants by inhaling them for therapeutic benefits or applying diluted oils to the skin. This decreases stress hormones in your body.
Aromatherapy can hold some potential risks, so it is important to get a healthcare providers consult before deciding on doing it. It should not be a replacement for any medical treatment but a calm helpful activity.
Having a sleep schedule is a very good habit to get into. Going to sleep and waking up at the same time has benefits to your health. It improves sleep duration and lowers stress hormones like cortisol and allows the brain to reset and process new emotions, improving mood and concentration.
