Did you know that we all experience stress at some point in life? Before you get to know why we experience stress, let us first understand what stress is. We will also learn why maintaining a well-being through stressful times is important.
Your body’s reaction to demands and challenges is what is called stress. Stress can be categorized into three types namely:
- Acute stress– Occur when symptoms develop because of a stressful event.
- Episodic acute stress-This one occurs when the stress you are experiencing is regular or frequent.
- Chronic stress-this type of stress is can last for weeks or months and can lead to unhealthy eating.
One thing also to note is that there is positive stress and negative stress. Positive stress helps us to respond swiftly to threats. Negative stress results when you are exposed to the stressor for a long. This long exposure to the stressor causes stress. It can also interfere with your ability to deal with physical illness. Some of the things which can trigger stress include the loss of a parent, divorce, and loss of a job. Due to such triggers, one might experience increased heart rate and elevated blood pressure. One can also develop fear and anger.
How do you take care of yourself by maintaining a well-being through stressful times?
Here are the tips:
1.Healthy eating
Managing stress can be challenging especially if you are not feeding well. This is because stress affects your body’s use of calories and nutrients. Therefore, a balanced diet is critical to maintaining a good immune system. A healthy diet also goes a long way in the provision of energy which helps in coping when you have stress. This is what you can take to maintain well-being through stressful times:
Eating fish
Eating fish will help you fight stress and prevent heart diseases. A good option is a fatty fish. This is because fatty fish contain omega 3 which prevents you from getting depression. It also has nutrients that interact with mood-related brain molecules. Examples of fatty fish include salmon, herring, mackerel, sardines, and tuna.
Eating a whole grain
Research has shown that carbohydrates can increase your level of serotonin. This hormone reduces stress levels and improves your mood. When serotonin hormone is increased those under stress are able to focus. Therefore make an effort of eating unrefined carbohydrates such as whole grain and sweet potatoes. This will improve your nutritional status and ultimately reduce your stress levels. Moreover, limiting cookies, white pasta, cakes, and white bread will also help you to maintain a good nutrition status and control your stress levels.
Eating avocados
When mashed and added to a salad, avocados are delicious. They have omega-3 fatty acids. The omega 3 fatty acid is highly recommended because it reduces your stress levels, and anxiety and at the same time improves your concentration. Omega 3 also enhances the production of phospholipids which is responsible for the provision of energy in the retina sperms and the brain. Avocados are also rich in essential nutrients and fiber which helps in lowering the risk of high blood pressure and obesity.
Drinking of Milk
Milk contains Latium which can treat stress. Latium calms your body and lowers your blood pressure. It also enhances the production of cortisol levels, a hormone that the body produces when you have stress. Milk is also rich in calcium which helps in the formation of bones in your body. Calcium can also help reduce depression. Yogurt and cheese can also be a source of calcium too.
2. Doing Exercise Maintaining a Well-Being Through Stressful Times
Almost all forms of exercise can act as a stress reliever. Here is how exercise helps you can control your stress levels:
Control of Stress To Maintain Well-Being in a Stressful Time.
Exercise can help you fight stress by making you feel relieved. This effect controls your flight fight response and helps your body systems to function even better. This leads to positive effects on the cardiovascular systems, immune systems, and digestive systems. This also protects you from other psychological problems.
Exercising as a way of Maintaining a Well-Being Through a Stressful Time.
Routine exercise helps you relax and increases your self-confidence. Moreover exercise also helps lower anxiety and stress and improves your sleep. Additionally, exercise can also help control depression.
Yoga exercise Reduces Stress
Exercise such as yoga, which entails muscle stretching is recommended for those who want to reduce stress. Since rapid and irregular breathing is a common response to stress, deep and regular breathing is recommendable. This is to make you calm. Deep breathing is easy to learn and it’s ideal for the elimination of stress.
Doing Mental exercise
This entails having a conversation with someone closer to you. In this case, this could be your friend, a counselor, a trained chaplain, or a priest. You can also practice mental exercise to control your stress levels. This is by writing down how you feel your thoughts and the practice meditation exercise as a way of controlling your stress levels.
Muscular Relaxation.
Muscles that are tight and tensed are stressed. When you relax your muscle, you feel relieved and hence reduce stress levels. Muscular relaxation is performed in a quiet place. An area where you are free from distraction can enhance is ideal for this activity. For you to learn this technique faster you can consider having someone recite all directions or prerecord yourself. Unlike deep breathing, muscle relaxation can be time for you to learn. This exercise is ideal for your stress control program. One thing to note is that you do not have to be an athlete to exercise. Exercise is recommended for all.
3. Getting enough Sleep and Maintaining a well-being through stressful times
When you fall asleep your brain slows down and engages in a process of recovery thus promoting your mental performance. However, episodes of stress can make you not fall into a deep sleep. Stress can also affect the quality and duration of sleep. That is when you’re sleeping pattern is disrupted and you are likely to experience stress. Moreover, the presence of stress can raise cortisol levels a hormone that stimulates vigilance and alertness. Therefore, when the cortisol hormone is stimulated (in this case by stress) you fail to fall asleep. When someone has difficulties in maintaining and consolidating sleep he/she can suffer from a sleeping disorder known as insomnia.
What Triggers The Stress That affect Your Sleeping Pattern?
Triggers are external factors (specifically events or circumstances) that interfere with your sleeping patterns. In that case, such factors can trigger an episode of stress. So, identifying triggers to your sleeping pattern is very critical. For instance, when one is in pain, there is a likelihood of being worried. Therefore a message is sent to the brain and stress hormones are circulated in your body. Such hormones are also not broken hence affecting your sleep. This is similar to running a car engine in fifth gear all the time. In this case, you are also likely to suffer from anxiety and depression.
Other factors which increase the chances of having insomnia and stress include:
- Increased pressure in your workplace’
- Divorce
- Loss of a loved one
- Loss of a job.
- Those that suffer from cancer.
Does Getting enough Sleep Really Reduce Your Stress Levels?
Yes, it does. When you are sleeping your body is at rest hence your system alleviates stress effectively. For that matter is a good night’s sleep critical if you want to control your stress levels.
Maintaining a healthy work balance is encouraged because it helps in releasing stress in case there is a trigger.
A good bath can also release improve your sleeping patterns since you feel refreshed and at the same time helps in the management of stress. Other ways that you can improve your sleeping patterns and control stress include:
- Avoiding electronics During Sleeping Time. Video games and cell phones just to mention a few electronics emit a blue light that can disrupt your sleep.
- Employing a Strict Sleep Schedule. It is recommendable to follow a regular sleeping routine on a weekly basis. This includes the working days and the days that you’re off.
- Meditating Before Sleeping. Meditation entails verbally guided encouraging yourself to visualize a calming location. Guided meditation may include nature sounds to assist in relaxation.
- Strive To Get enough Sleep. A night of good sleep is important if you want to control your stress levels. For an adult, it’s advisable to sleep 7-8 hours each night.
Drinking enough Water and Maintaining a Well-Being Through a Stressful Time
Are you looking for ways and strategies to fight stress? If your answer is yes then you need to adopt the habit of hydrating yourself. When you do not drink water, your body organs do not function well. One of the body organs that require water is the brain. The brain controls every part of your body system. Therefore, when the body is not supplied with enough water, the level of cortisol hormones (stress hormone) goes up and hence the feeling of being stressed. Research has also shown that dehydration can cause depression and anxiety. When you do not drink water, your brain functioning is also very slow. This is how depression is associated with dehydration:
- Dehydration Belittles Your Brain energy-If your brain is not supplied with enough water this can result in mood disorder and hence depression. But when you drink water, the energy production is improved in the brain. Therefore, the consumption of water will help you control fear, anxiety insecurity, and emotional problems.
- Dehydration increases Your Stress Levels-The biggest contributor to depression is stress. When you are experiencing episodes of stress, the cortisol hormone (stress hormone) is produced in large quantities. In that case, the adrenaline gland becomes exhausted. This lowers the electrolytes hence leading to depression.
How can you know someone who is not Taking Water as Required?
For you to know that someone is dehydrated this is what you should look:
- Persistent Headache-Not all headaches though, but most cases of headaches are a result of dehydration. That is when there is little supply of water to the brain oxygen concentration in the brain is also limited.
- Bad Breath-When you are dehydrated your mouth is normally dry. This is what results in bad breath since your mouth is not refreshed. When you drink enough water your body system produces enough saliva that fights the bad odor.
- Dry Skin–If you are dehydrated you are likely to have itchy skin, chapped skin, and dry mouth. Drinking water ensures your skin is smooth and free from itchiness and dryness.
4. Other Strategies
The other strategies that you can employ to maintain well-being through stressful times include:
- Alcohol Reduction-Research has shown that alcohol abuse increases stress and anxiety. This is due to the fact that the biological response to stress by alcoholics is perturbed. Heavy alcohol drinking can also lead to impaired judgment and hence lead to stress. Control of alcohol consumption will ensure that you make a wise decision and reduce the chances of being stressed.
- Having a Positive Mind. If you feed your mind with negative thoughts you stand a chance of being stressed. Moreover, if you feed your brain with positive attributes you see possibilities and solutions to problems. In that case, you are stress-free.
- Knowing When To Seek Help-It is evident that at some point in life things may not work as expected. In that case, you stand a big chance of being stressed. Visiting a doctor or a therapist will ensure that you are helped earlier before the situation gets complicated.
In conclusion healthy eating, doing exercise, and having a routine sleep schedule can help you in maintaining your well-being through stressful times. The other ways that can help you maintain well-being through stressful times include: drinking enough water, alcohol reduction, and knowing when to seek help.