Stress is your body's natural reaction to challenges. In short bursts, stress can be a positive force, including helping you meet a personal goal or work deadline. But over a prolonged period of time, stress may be incredibly harmful to your health.
Common Signs of Stress
In this modern, hectic world, we’ve unfortunately become accustomed to the feeling of stress and sometimes it may even be hard to recognize it. But here are some common signs of stress:
- Chronic pain
- Frequent sickness
- Decreased energy
- Insomnia
- Changes in libido
- Increased or decreased appetite
- Digestive issues
- Depression and general unhappiness
- Anxiety and agitation
- Loneliness and isolation
The Dangers of Stress
More than 18% of Americans suffer from anxiety disorders — that's over 40 million people! The percentage increases to over 25% in teenagers, and the number of people affected is more than 284 million worldwide. That also puts them at risk for:
- Chronic fatigue
- Ulcers
- Panic attacks
- Heart disease
- Respiratory disorders
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Migraines
- Chronic diseases
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Tips to Reduce Stress
When left unchecked, stress can contribute to many other health problems such as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. So what can you do to keep your stress at a minimum?
1. Make a List
You might think that multi-tasking is the most effective way to be productive and get things done, but this approach might actually be making you more stressed. If you feel overwhelmed about the number of things you have to do, try to write everything down in a list and organize them according to priority.
Then, tackle each task individually and cross the tasks off your list as you finish them. Seeing your pending tasks list shrink will make you feel more satisfied with your day.
2. Don’t Forget Self-Care
It's really easy to get caught up in a whirlwind of tasks and forget about self-care. Remember, your mind and body work best when you take care of them.
Simple practices like deep breathing exercises, mindfulness meditation, and taking time to rest can help calm the mind and reduce stress levels. Incorporating natural elements like herbal teas, a walk in nature, or a warm bath can further promote relaxation and mental clarity.
3. Take Some Time for Yourself
Modern life is so busy, and sometimes we just need to slow down and chill out. Taking some time for yourself to relax and disconnect from the world is important to manage chronic stress and anxiety. At the end of the day, relax and enjoy your favorite activities, like spending time with your loved ones, or enjoying a cup of Dr. Sebi's Stress Relief Herbal Tea.
4. Make Time for What Makes You Happy
Life doesn't have to be all work and no play! Set aside time for things you enjoy. Try to do something every day that makes you feel good, and it will help relieve your stress. It doesn't have to be a ton of time — even 15 to 20 minutes will do.
5. Eat Well
Stress can take a toll on your body's natural defenses, but eating the right foods can offer relief. It's normal to feel wrung out sometimes by the stress of daily life and, unfortunately, we tend to reach for junk food, but high-calorie or sugary foods only trick us into thinking we feel better.
Eating healthy food-and making that a conscious choice-can actually offer some real stress relief. Follow Dr. Sebi's Nutritional Guide and hydrate properly to make sure you're providing your body with the best tools to manage anything that comes your way!
6. Exercise Regularly
Working out regularly is one of the best ways to relax your body and mind. It doesn't have to be strenuous exercise, but taking a walk after meals or stretching before bed can tremendously improve your mood.
7. Stock Up on Healthy Snacks
Sometimes life gets so busy that it's hard to find enough time to sit down and get a full meal. But time shouldn't be an excuse to ignore keeping your body and mind fueled with healthy, nutritious meals. Smoothies are fast and easy to make, walnuts are easy to carry around, and fruit makes for perfect snacks that are full of minerals, antioxidants, good fats, and natural sugars to keep you going.
8. Get Enough Sleep
Sleep is the most amazing healer. When you slow down, relax, nap, and rest, your body can focus on the task of helping you recover from illness or keeping you safe. Active rest is difficult for many people with busy lives, but now is the time to stop and still your mind to allow all your energy to be focused on the body.
9. Take Breaks
It's important to take frequent breaks during your workday to avoid getting overwhelmed. Set up an alarm to go off every hour to remind you to get up from your seat and move around a little, rest your eyes, and stretch. Here’s an example of how you can try this approach:
- Split your tasks into 40-minute intervals.
- Take a 5- to 10-minute break at the end of each 40-minute interval.
- For every 3 tasks you complete, take a longer break between 30 and 60 minutes.
10. Unplug from the News and Social Media
Disconnect from the news. Even though it’s important to stay informed, limit the time you spend listening to the news or on social media. Get your facts from reliable, non-biased sources only.
Deep Breathing for Stress
Breathing is such a normal bodily function that most people take it for granted. However, stress can cause people to fall into a harmful cycle of breathing and anxiety. Anxious people generally take short, shallow breaths at increasing frequency.
While this is a symptom of anxiety, it’s also a cause and further perpetuates the feeling of anxiousness. Anxiety leads to shallow breathing, which leads to more anxiety, which leads to shallower breathing, and so on. Your body relies on oxygen to carry out many important functions, such as creating energy, building cells and tissues, and oxygenating the brain.
As you can imagine, everyone agrees that it is essential to build good breathing habits, and here are some of the key health benefits of deep breathing that have been discovered:
- Lowers harmful effects of cortisol
- Lowers your heart rate
- Calming impact on the brain
- Regulates blood pressure
- Reduces lactic acid build-up
- Improves core muscle stability
- Increases the volume of oxygen received by the body
- Boosts the immune system
- Improves energy metabolism
- Allows improved healing capabilities
- Results in more organized electrical patterns in the brain
- Positively impacts memory
- Improves intense exercise capabilities
Try These Breathing Techniques
- Deep Belly Breathing: Sit or lie down in a comfortable position. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen. Inhale deeply through your nose, allowing your abdomen to rise as you fill your lungs, then slowly exhale through your mouth. Repeat for 5 to 10 minutes.
- 4-7-8 Breathing: Inhale through your nose for a count of 4, hold your breath for 7 seconds, then exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of 8. Repeat this cycle 4 to 5 times.
- Box Breathing: Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, and hold your breath for another 4 seconds. Repeat this square breathing pattern for several minutes.
- Alternate Nostril Breathing: Close your right nostril with your thumb and inhale through your left nostril. Close the left nostril with your ring finger and exhale through your right nostril. Inhale through your right nostril, then switch and exhale through your left. Repeat for 5 to 10 cycles to balance and calm your nervous system.
