Stress is an incredibly pervasive problem in society today. In fact, most students and adults report some level of stress in their daily lives.
However, there is an important distinction between “good” stress and “negative” stress. Good stress is the positive feelings we experience from an exercise session. Negative stress often results in symptoms such as anxiety and depression which can be detrimental to our health in a variety of ways.
In this article, we will provide you with 5 stress relief and stress management tips to help you overcome negative stress and maximize the benefit of positive stress in your life.
Tip #1: Don’t Bottle It Up
One of the best ways to manage stress is to simply talk about things that are bothering you. If you keep all of your stress inside, with no outlet, eventually you will “explode”.
Talking to a friend, a family member, or even a therapist on a regular basis can help you to deal with your stress and negative thoughts so that you can more effectively navigate your days and control your emotions.
Tip #2: Complete Regular Exercise
As you may or may not know, exercise is one of the most powerful cures for nearly all ailments. Exercise not only helps to alleviate physical issues, but it also provides powerful mental health benefits.
Best of all, exercise is generally thought of as having a dose-response relationship*. This means that the more you do, the better you’ll feel. Goodbye stress, hello new running shoes!
*Of course, it should be said that one can always do too much of a good thing. Exercising too intensely and too frequently can cause injuries and other problems for the body. If you’re just starting out, aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio exercise each week, then go from there.
Tip #3: Eat a Healthy Diet
“You are what you eat”. Based on this oft-used expression, we can see that the foods that are included in our diets can significantly affect our health and body makeup.
Additionally, the food you eat can significantly contribute to both positive and negative health effects. For instance, if you reach exclusively for the potato chips instead of the apples when you’re looking for a snack, you’re likely to put more strain on your body in the form of inflammation. Furthermore, these foods can have extremely detrimental effects on your mental health.
Therefore, eating low-sugar, unprocessed foods is a great way to prioritize both your mental and physical health.
Tip #4: Meditate Daily
If you ascribe to a certain religion, you likely have some component of meditation built into your worldview. However, not everyone utilizes meditation to its fullest capacity.
Meditation is an extremely powerful tool for combating stress. By simply sitting and breathing, without using your phone or thinking about any problems plaguing your mind, you can have a profound impact on your stress levels.
Tip #5: Visit Your Chiropractor Regularly
If you follow all of the steps listed above, you’ll likely achieve incredible levels of stress reduction.
However, you may be missing one key component of stress reduction: chiropractic care.
Chiropractic treatments effectively realign the spine when it has fallen out of its proper position. As a result, most patients experience significantly reduced pain levels. Interestingly, many chiropractic patients also experience improvements in stress. This is likely due to the fact that the mind and body are very closely interlinked: what affects one of these structures, affects the other as well. Therefore, when you improve a physical symptom, you can also improve a mental one.
Are you looking for ways to reduce your stress? Do you feel like you’ve tried it all, but haven’t found relief? If so, make sure you incorporate the tips listed above and schedule an appointment with us at Awaken Chiropractic, your Parker chiropractor. Book your appointment today!
