Feeling Stressed? Tips to Reduce Stress and Stay Calm
The stress response is triggered by a variety of events that include trying to manage multiple daily responsibilities, a negative life event like an illness or losing a job and a traumatic event like an accident or natural disaster.
The American Institute of Stress found that 80 percent of American workers experience job stress, and it costs businesses more than $300 billion each year due to turnover, absenteeism, lowered productivity, and legal, medical and insurance costs. Knowing how to relieve stress quickly can help you mitigate the serious effects that stress can have on the body and mind.
What is Stress?
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH) defines stress as an emotional and physical reaction people experience due to life’s demands. Stress is a normal reaction to a perceived threat or challenge, but it is not meant to last long-term. The stress reaction includes the following reactions.
- Quickening pulse
- Faster breathing
- Tense muscles
- Increased use of oxygen in the brain
- Digestive problems
- Sleeplessness
- Irritability or anger
- Headaches
The perceived threat causes hormones like epinephrine, cortisol and norepinephrine to be released. These hormones are meant to help the body assume the physical and mental alertness needed to respond or run away from the threat. Today, most stress is not caused by a physical attack, and you cannot run away from the danger to relieve the stress level. Instead, your body experiences long-term or chronic stress which can cause serious physical problems, like heart disease and high blood pressure.
Stress reveals itself in a variety of ways. An American Psychological Association survey found that people reported more tension in their bodies (21 percent), quickly getting angry (20 percent), unpredictable mood swings (20 percent) and screaming at family members or other loved ones (17 percent). The pandemic has compounded the stress that is associated with society’s problems in general.
Stress Relief Strategies you Can Do Every Day
What helps stress? There are numerous good stress relievers you can use daily.
1. CBD products
CBD products are used by millions of people who say it helps them relax physically and mentally. This promotes better sleep and being able to better manage daily stressors. They include CBD oils, tinctures, gummies and other products. You can select the CBD product that best fits your needs. Many include additional natural stress relief ingredients, like herbs.
2. Mindfulness meditation
Mindfulness meditation is a method for relieving stress by calming the body and mind. It involves learning how to develop an awareness of mind and body and doing deep breathing. You concentrate on focusing on the present and accepting your thoughts and feeling without judgment.
3. Relaxation techniques
There are numerous relaxation techniques, meaning you can choose one or more that best fits your schedule and interests. A popular stress-relieving technique is a yoga which combines physical postures, meditation and breathing techniques. Other relaxation techniques that help with stress management include progressive muscle relaxation, aromatherapy and hydrotherapy, to name a few. All of these stress relief tactics are easily used on most days.
4. Regular exercise
Regular exercise strengthens the body and clears the mind. It reduces stress hormones and stimulates the release of endorphins which improve mood. Any type of exercise helps relieve stress, including aerobic exercise, walking and even stretching.
How to Relieve Stress Quickly at Work?
You can learn how to release stress at work. One of the best ways is to use a CBD product, like a CBD gummy. You can choose the potency and the spectrum. Full spectrum CBD has less than 0.3 percent THC. Broad spectrum CBD will not have more than a trace of THC. CBD isolate is THC-free.
Another stress-relieving technique is to take regular short breaks and stretch at your desk or walk around. You should avoid conflict as much as possible, learning to step back when feeling your stress level rising.
What to Do If You Have Trouble Sleeping?
Getting a good night’s sleep is one of the most important but challenging things you can do to manage stress. Nearly 50 percent of Americans say they feel sleepy at some point in the day on 3-7 days per week. Approximately 35.2 percent of all U.S. adults sleep less than seven hours a night.
Getting regular sleep is a stress relief strategy, but it can be difficult. You should take daily steps like adhering to a sleep schedule, ensuring you sleep on a quality mattress and creating a sleep environment in the bedroom. Millions of people take CBD for sleep because they say it helps them relax. Such products usually contain melatonin, ashwagandha, lemon balm, valerian root or chamomile to help you calm your mind.
Summary
Most people need to employ a variety of strategies when learning to manage stress. Learning the quick ways to relieve stress is important because you can use them at the moment you feel your stress levels increasing.
The quick stress relievers supplement the long-term changes you make in your daily habits. It is important to find good stress relievers that work well for you to make sure stress does not cause physical, mental and emotional distress that leads to chronic illness.
Sources
- https://www.singlecare.com/blog/news/stress-statistics/
- https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/stress
- https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/stress
- https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2020/report-october
- nccih.nih.gov/health/yoga-what-you-need-to-know
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/relaxation-technique/art-20045368
- https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/exercising-to-relax
- https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/sleep-facts-statistics
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