Tips to Manage Stress

Managing stress is an important aspect of health and wellness!

There are many ways to manage stress, but here are just a few examples:

1. Regular exercise can help loosen muscle tension and remind your body to breathe deeply.

2. Eat a healthy diet.

3. Take a yoga class or try meditation.

4. Find time for yourself. Do something that you find relaxing, for example take a bubble bath, read a book, or take a walk outside.

5. Let loose and laugh a little. Find a funny movie, spend time with someone who makes you laugh, or just learn to laugh at the little things.

6. Learn to push away negative thoughts and spend more time dwelling on the positive.

7. Get 7-8 hours of sleep to help your body cope with stress emotionally and physically.

8. Cultivate close relationships with friends and family. Good emotional support systems help you live longer.

9. Get help if you need it. Talking with a counselor can help you find relief. 

Finding Balance

When your work begins to interfere with your personal life, it is easy to become stressed and lose sight of what is important. There was a time when there were clear boundaries between work and home. These days it is easy to let work take over your personal time with email, texts, and instant messaging. To restore balance, please consider the following ideas:

Leave work at work.  As technology advances, it is up to you to create the separation. Remember you are not married to your work.  It is important to take time for yourself, family, and friends. Whenever possible, turn off or silence your electronics and enjoy your time away from work.

Manage your time wisely. This can be done by creating a daily to-do-list. Complete the tasks with the highest priority first and gradually work your way down the list. To prevent your work issues from running into your personal life, make a to-do-list at the end of the work day with what tasks need to be addressed the next morning.

Nurture yourself. When you take care of yourself, you are more likely to feel better both physically and emotionally. Nurture your body by eating healthy foods, exercise most days of the week, and get adequate sleep. Discover new activities and healthy foods you have not tried. Examples include joining a hiking group, taking a dance or cooking class.

Implementing these suggestions can help you restore balance to your life. You will feel better, be more productive, and more likely to enjoy life to the fullest.