Stress has a broad range of negative effects on our bodies, whether it’s physically, emotionally, psychologically, or affecting your relationships in unhealthy ways. We all perceive and deal with stress differently. Stress is often referred to as the silent killer, in that it slowly and subtly compromises one’s health. Chronic stress can lead to a number of serious health-related issues, such as heart disease, depression, anxiety, diabetes, insomnia, upper respiratory infections. You know that head cold you seem to get every semester around finals week? More often than not, that cold can be directly attributed to high amounts of stress and the inability to cope with it. But whether or not you let it take control of your life is completely up to you.
Controlling the stress in your life and learning how you react to it are important. By incorporating the following simple stress-busting techniques into your daily routine, you can learn how to break free from anxiety-ridden thoughts and behaviors.
- Learn relaxation exercises, including deep breathing, muscle relaxation, stretching, visualization and meditation.
- Avoid drinking too much caffeine, which can increase feelings of anxiety and agitation.
- Get enough sleep.
- Eat healthy and exercise regularly. Not only will this prepare your body to withstand the physical affects of stress, but it will also strengthen your mind to cope with stress.
- Forget perfection. Learn to feel good about doing the best you can.
- Take breaks; De-stress by listening to music, watching your favorite show, talking with a friend, reading a magazine or taking part in other activities that help you relax
At the end of the day we should cut ourselves some slack, do some deep breathing exercises, try to smile every now and then. In the words of Bob Marley, “Every little thing will be alright.” Our life isn’t going to fall apart tomorrow if you don’t learn to manage your stress today, but it’s important that we don’t let stress consume our lives and that we learn to be able to manage it. You are awesome always remember that you will overcome any situation you may be dealing with right now.
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