Let’s Talk About Stress, Baby

We all deal with stress from time to time. Sometimes stress is caused by a single event, like being stuck in traffic, or it can happen over a longer period, caused by different events in your life, like work or your home life. Stress can feel overwhelming, especially if you deal with it often. So what can you do to reduce its effects? There are some simple and effective ways to manage stress, so let’s talk about them and help you improve your mental wellbeing.

Image Credit: Unsplash under Creative Commons

Be ready to make changes

The first thing to know about dealing with stress is that sometimes, you need to tackle problems head-on. Whether you have an issue at work or you’re overwhelmed by the mess at home, most problems won’t fix themselves. Be prepared to make some changes to help you move on. It may not be easy at first, but it could be the first step to unburdening yourself and lightening the mental load. 

Get active and outdoors

One of the most effective ways of beating stress is through exercise. Exercise helps reduce your stress hormones, while releasing endorphins – your feel-good hormones. And it can be even more beneficial for your stress levels if you exercise outdoors. From long walks to challenging fitness classes, exercise can be just what you need after a stressful day. Learn how to improve your workouts so you can focus on your health.

Start getting strict with your bedtime

Lack of sleep can heighten feelings of stress, leaving you feeling more irritable and unable to focus. This makes prioritising sleep particularly important in the fight against stress. If you’re struggling to sleep, there are some things you can try to make it easier. From yoga and meditation to CBD oil, a change to your nighttime routine could be the thing you need to sleep better at night. Monitor your sleep habits via your phone or a fitness tracker to help you learn more about your sleep patterns and make further improvements.

Talk to someone

If you’re concerned about stress in your life or the way you’re handling it, then it’s important that you talk to someone about it. There are several resources available to help you deal with stress, including your GP. Your workplace may also have an assistance programme you can call for help and advice, even if your issue isn’t work-related. 

You could also consider talking to a friend or relative about your issues – a problem shared is a problem halved, after all! Try not to bottle it up, you might find things become a little easier to manage when you’ve talked them through.

Dealing with stress can be a rollercoaster, but the way to ride it out is by having mechanisms you can rely on to cope. Making changes to your lifestyle and finding ways to tackle your stress head-on will be a big help, easing some of life’s challenges to help you sleep a little easier at night.