How to Manage Stress in Daily Life

It is normal to feel stressed but at the same time, you should recover from it. Stress can be seen in every age group. Our capacity to deal with stress highly depends on our genes, past experiences, and many more. In a report, it is found that 80% of Americans have experienced one stress symptom in the last month and the remaining 20% have experienced extreme stress.

It is impossible to be stress-free during these times but we should prepare ourselves both mentally and physically to fight against it.

• Headaches or migraines
• Muscle tension and pain
• Insomnia or changes in sleep patterns
• Increase in heartbeat
• Loss of appetite
• Too many thoughts at a time
• Mood swings
• Depression and anxiety
• Negative self-talk
• Social withdrawal
• Relationship conflicts
• Loss of confidence
• Tired or lazy
• Avoiding responsibilities

1. Physical Activity:

   Any kind of physical activity or consistently moving your body can help reduce your stress levels and uplift your mood. Physical activity like exercising regularly results in improving symptoms of various mental health problems like anxiety and depression.

   In a study, 185 students of a university participated for 6-weeks. They did aerobics every week for 2 days and found a reduction in their stress. They also found improvement in their depressed state.

   If you have never done any exercise then start with walking and continue it for a long run. You will find positive results with time.

2. Balanced Diet:

   It is highly recommended to eat healthy and balanced food to avoid stress. It is suggested that people who tend to follow highly processed and sugary foods are more inclined toward higher stress levels in a 2022 research review.

   Chronic stress can indulge you in overeating and such unhealthy eating patterns can be harmful for your body or mood. You can also become an essential nutrient-deficient (such as magnesium and vitamin B). Include green vegetables, fresh fruits, seeds, proteins, and nuts in your diet.

3. Minimizing Your Screen Time:

   We all are technology-driven and laptops, smartphones, and tablets have become necessities. Using them for work to entertainment purposes, we spend more than half of our time in front of the screen.

   In the 2021 literature review, several studies have found a connection between excessive usage of smartphones and higher stress levels and mental health. Too much screen time affects both kids and adults psychologically and makes them stressed.

   Excessive screen time can also disturb your sleep cycle and might lead to high stress levels.

4. Self Care:

   Self-care is an essential part of your life. Many people are not aware of this topic but it should be practiced regularly.

   It is important, especially for those, who have stressful jobs such as doctors, nurses, etc. Practicing self-care timely or regularly can help in stress reduction. You can start walking, reading, painting, yoga or exercise, massage, and a hobby.

   It is observed that people who indulge more in self-care tend to have improved life quality and lower stress levels.

5. Maintaining a Journal:

   Maintaining a regular journal can help in stress and anxiety reduction. In 2018, a study found that writing down your thoughts and emotions on paper is highly beneficial for people suffering from chronic health issues and mental issues like depression.

   Regular journaling improves the quality of life as it generates positive behavior toward life like self-care.

6. Caffeine:

   Caffeine is a drug that activates your brain and central nervous system. It is found in coffee, tea, chocolates, etc.

   According to a 2021 review of literature, too much consumption of caffeine has harmful effects as it can make your anxiety worse. It can also disturb your regular sleep cycle and might escalate symptoms of stress and anxiety.

   Although people have different capacities toward caffeine tolerance. If it makes you more anxious then you should avoid caffeine intake or you can replace it with other drinks like herbal tea or decaffeinated coffee. Coffee is an antioxidant in nature and has many health benefits. It is suggested to consume 400 mg of caffeine a day i.e. 4-5 cups (0.9–1.2 L) of coffee a day.

7. Yoga:

   Yoga originated in India and it includes practices that create a physical, mental, and spiritual connection. It keeps you relaxed, calm, and clear your mind. Yoga can help in reducing your heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol hormone levels.

   It also increases the neurotransmitter levels which is less in amount in people with mood disorders. Research also discovered that yoga can decrease anxiety and stress in your body. It can also encourage mental well-being.

8. Family and friends:

   It is good to have social support with whom you can talk about things and have a discussion about your issue. We get this support from our friends and family. They are the ones who care about our feelings and can help to cope with stress and anxiety.

   In a 2019 study, it was found that 163 college-going Latin young adults show that who didn’t have family support or a partner felt lonely, stressed, and depressed.

9. Nature:

   Nature can calm you down. It can lower the thoughts running in your mind. A review of 14 studies shows that spending at least 10 minutes in nature helps in improving psychological and physiological markers, including perceived stress and happiness, in college-going adults.

10. Deep Breathing:

    The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system regulates “fight-or-flight” responses and controls “rest and digest” functions respectively.

    When you are stressed, your sympathetic nervous system activates resulting in your increased heartbeat, fast breathing, etc. But practicing deep breathing regularly can help to activate your parasympathetic nervous system which results in relaxing your body.