Life can be stressful; no matter if you’re working from home, working in an office, or simply getting through the day. The onset of stress can be gradual or hit you like a ton of bricks, leaving you feeling overwhelmed and sometimes defeated.
We know that stress can take up a large chunk of your day and your willpower, which is why you need to make it a priority to try and de-stress as often as you can so you don’t have to worry about feeling overwhelmed all of the time. There are plenty of ways for you to de-stress throughout the day by making a few simple changes to your normal routine.
Before beginning any type of exercise or stretching routine, you should consult with a qualified healthcare professional. Below are a few ways to quickly de-stress; so you can feel energized to conquer your day no matter what life throws your way.
I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “breathe deeply” far too many times, but what does this phrase really mean? When you are feeling stressed, your heart rate can elevate, a stomach ache can develop, your breath may quicken, and many other stress-related symptoms can appear.
This is the body’s way of producing a fight or flight response by releasing adrenaline, and it puts your body into a state of anxiety or panic. One way to send a signal to your brain to relax, which will then alert the body to follow suit, is to take a few minutes to breathe deeply, using a technique called diaphragmatic breathing.
A constant state of stress is incredibly unhealthy and can lead to high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, and a weakened immune system over time. The practice of deep breathing can be used when faced with stressful situations, but also practiced daily as part of a meditation routine. By breathing deeply, you are telling your central nervous system that there is no need to panic and to relax. Essentially, you’re trying to slow down the fight or flight response that your body is sending and trying to get it back on track with slow and mindful breaths.
Meditating through deep breathing exercises can be a great way to get your mind back on track and help your body realign itself so the panic can subside and you can put everything back into perspective.
For easy deep breathing exercises, check out this website.
Exercising can help you de-stress and get your recommended amount of physical activity in each week. What response does exercising elicit from the body that trains the brain to de-stress?
We know that the mind and body are intertwined, but did you know that stress can impact mental health and even create physical symptoms like muscle tension, headaches, and fatigue? Stress can become a cycle where the mind and body are suffering and bouncing negative signals that feed off of each other.
Exercise can be an effective method for reducing stress levels and improving your health. Practicing deep breathing and exercise techniques daily can help you to feel less stressed and cope with those feelings if they do arise.
Dr. Guillem Gonzalez-Lomas, an orthopedic surgeon, says this about exercise and its impact on stress, “It doesn’t matter if it’s a set of 20 jumping jacks, 10 pushups or sit-ups, or running in place for 30 seconds — a burst of activity gets your heart rate up, and even if brief, will activate several neurotransmitters, including dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine that enhance your mood and help cushion some of that anxiety and stress.”
Adding exercise to your routine is a great way for you to give your body a chance to burn off some of that anxious energy. Whether you go to your local gym for a quick bout of exercise or do some low-impact at-home exercises, you can find plenty of benefits by exercising to reduce your stress levels.
Even if you don’t feel like lifting weights or doing some moderately intense exercise at your local gym, there are plenty of benefits that can be gained by incorporating gentle stretches into your day. Stretching can reduce muscle tension and increase serotonin levels to improve your mood and help you reduce your stress levels over time. An added benefit is that you can stretch from anywhere, including your home!
When you add proper exercise and stretching to your routine with guidance from a qualified healthcare professional or licensed physical therapist, you’re also making your overall health a priority.
We’re here to help guide you on that pathway by educating you on ways to perform certain exercises and stretches to ensure that you can do them safely and without future injury. Book an Appointment Today to connect with a physical therapist who can help guide you on some helpful exercises you can do to de-stress throughout the day.
Do you know what goes well with exercise as a stress-reducer? A proper sleep cycle. Naps can be a good way to shut down for a short session, but you should focus on developing a solid sleep cycle during the night.
When we exercise, our bodies release a pain-killing chemical called endorphins. These chemicals work as natural stress-relievers and can help us develop better sleep patterns. When we sleep, our bodies have a chance to repair our muscles and memory. If we’re able to establish healthy exercise habits, especially when we feel stressed, our bodies and minds are able to rebuild their strength and create a positive cycle of exercise and sleep — two things that are usually negatively affected when we are feeling stressed out.
Oftentimes, stress can play a big role in the quality and length of time we sleep, and we don’t even realize it! Stress can impact your sleep patterns which is why you need to make it a priority to try and squeeze in the extra hours when you can and to get on a better sleep schedule over time.
According to Sleep Score Labs, “Sleep is a powerful stress reducer. Following a regular sleep routine calms and restores the body, improves concentration, regulates mood, and sharpens judgment and decision-making. You are a better problem solver and are better able to cope with stress when you’re well-rested. Lack of sleep, on the other hand, reduces your energy and diminishes mental clarity.”
Did you know that research shows Americans would be happier and healthier if they slept 60-90 minutes longer each night?
Your sleep cycles and the stress you feel may relate to one another. If one is out of sync, the other might be as well. The American Psychological Association’s survey of Americans found that we are sleeping on average of 6.7 hours a night, which is less than the 7-9 hours per night recommendation for healthy sleep patterns. 42 percent of adults say stress affected their sleep negatively and for those who did not sleep long enough, they reported feeling irritable, tired, lack of motivation, and having issues concentrating. Individuals who slept longer reported feeling lower levels of stress.
It’s time to take sleep seriously and prioritize your body’s recovery.
Oftentimes, one of the reasons that we’re stressed out is because we keep adding more to our plate without much consideration. If you find that your current schedule is causing you to stress out, then you need to be proactive in making sure that you accommodate time and days in your future schedule where you can just de-stress and focus on yourself.
Whether it’s at work or in your personal life, you need to make your schedule a priority — which means freeing up time where you can have open blocks throughout the day to get a breather. In addition, prioritizing your schedule will help alleviate some of that stress that can build up as one task bleeds into another. Prioritizing the activities that are urgent and important and letting go of things that are not can help free up your time. When you have more time throughout your day and your schedule isn’t so tightly packed together, you won’t have to worry about how one task could negatively impact a bunch more throughout the day or week.
Trim down your future schedule to give yourself more time for future projects and activities.
One of the best ways to clear up your future schedule as we’ve outlined above is to get comfortable saying no to others. Oftentimes, we fill up our schedule with requests and favors from others. If you feel like you’re constantly trying to please others, you might find that you’re always willing to say yes when someone else asks you to do something for them or add to your existing workload.
Even if you don’t want to say yes and you know how stressed you already are, it could be like second nature to simply say yes and add another thing to your already jam-packed schedule. If this sounds like you, then you need to prioritize working on saying no. This can take time as it requires a behavior change, but you’ll be glad you started politely declining requests every now and then because your schedule is so busy.
The best way to politely decline someone when they ask if you have extra time to spare or if you can squeeze something into your schedule is to politely say no and then highlight why you can’t add it to your schedule. Oftentimes, people will understand and will be more mindful in the future. Don’t be afraid to say no to make sure that you can prioritize your schedule and give you enough time to get things done throughout the day without feeling stressed.
Another big reason that so many people feel stress throughout the day is simply due to their work ethic. Procrastination is one of those tricky little things that can sneak up on you at the last moment. Try to avoid putting tasks off until the last minute and prioritize getting things done in a reasonable timeframe. A few of the ways to prioritize getting tasks done on time is to set them on your calendar or to break them up into smaller chunks so you don’t have to do them all at once.
Spending time with friends and family is a great way to reduce stress at home. Your friends and family can be a great support system when things get tough, including those stressful moments each day. Friends and family can also be a soundboard with your questions and concerns, and they may even be able to highlight things you possibly overlooked which could be adding to your stress levels. Don’t be afraid to lean on your friends and family now, and make spending time with them a priority to reduce your stress levels.
Coffee and caffeine can certainly help you get through the day, but it could be compounding your stress levels. Research has shown that caffeine can act as a stimulant, which can not only help keep you alert more, but could compound the stress you feel throughout the day. Try to reduce the caffeine you consume throughout the day and replace it with healthier options.
The mind and body work hand-in-hand to send signals to the brain about stress, and we have the power to help alleviate any negative pain signals being sent to our mind as long as we understand a few techniques to curb these emotions. Stress can linger and show up physically and mentally, so finding ways to train your mind and body to relax is essential.
Make your health a priority by focusing on ways to de-stress throughout the day. We’ve outlined a few of the key ways you can reduce stress at home. At Results Physiotherapy, we’re passionate about helping our patients and clients work through their stress with exercise and stretches, so Book an Appointment Today to connect with a licensed physical therapist who can help you implement a healthy and safe stretching and exercise routine to reduce stress.
