77% of Americans report that stress affects their physical or mental health. In fact, left unchecked, excessive stress can lead to everything from nagging digestive issues to the onset of clinical depression.
Truthfully, the hustle and bustle of day to day life can be overwhelming sometimes. And right now, this is especially true thanks to the current state of life resulting from this pandemic. But, poor mental health caused by excess stress can lead to decaying physical health, decreased immunity, and a higher likelihood of unwelcome health conditions.
That said, we can’t control everything that goes on around us, but we can control how we react to it. To help you manage stress, below are a few things you can do to cope with the ebb and flow of day to day life.
Sip Some Tea
There are so many psychological and physical health benefits to sipping tea. On a psychological level, drinking a warm cup of tea can be comforting, help you relax, and even help you sleep! On a physical level, many teas have a host of benefits, such as lowering bad cholesterol levels, decreasing blood pressure, and protection against certain cancers.
Not a tea drinker, but thinking of giving it a try? There are tons of varieties out there, but some of the ones with the greatest health benefits include: green tea, white tea, oolong tea, and hibiscus tea.
Watch a Funny Movie
Watching a funny movie can help you relax and unwind from the stressors of daily life. Additionally, there are tons of great health benefits to laughing, including pain relief, boosted immunity, body tension relief, and increased oxygen to organs throughout the body.
The number of funny movies out there is endless! So, what are you waiting for? Google some great movies or download your favorites to your streaming device today!
Get Your Heart Pumping
There is so much more to an active lifestyle than looking good. Regular exercise boosts endorphins, reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, staves of depression, and decreases the likelihood of chronic disease.
You don’t need to start full throttle with an intense workout routine either. Start small and build up your endurance. Try going for a run, bike ride, hike, popping in a workout video, or trying a free exercise routine online. If all of that seems like too much, you’ll get physical and mental health benefits just from regularly going for a walk outside. So, don’t hesitate! Get moving today!
Eat a Healthy Diet
What we put in our bodies has a big impact on how we feel, both physically and mentally. You can get a host of benefits from increasing the fresh fruits and vegetables, decreasing saturated fats, increasing whole grains, decreasing sodium, and increasing water in your diet. Of course, people write entire books on the subject of diet and mental health, but to sum it up- when paired with physical activity, a healthy diet can jump start positive mental health and lower overall stress.
Talk It Out
People are social creatures- we are hardwired to communicate and build relationships with one another. So, naturally, there is a clear correlation between close relationships, stress, and mental and physical health.
Having someone you can talk to and debrief with at the end of the day can help eliminate stress and boost mental health. Don’t believe us? Check out the Freakonomics podcast, Is There Really a “Loneliness Epidemic?”, to explore the subject further.
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