Managing and Minimizing Stress

NEWS FEATURE

Tips for Managing and Minimizing Stress

Americans experience varying levels of stress for a wide variety of reasons and many struggle to find healthy ways to manage. Minimizing occasional stress is important as it can affect overall health and well-being. Stress can feel overwhelming at times but setting aside time to unwind each day to focus on your physical and mental health can help you manage those feelings.

To better manage occasional feelings of stress, consider incorporating the following into your daily routine:

Prioritize Exercise

Research has found that exercise in any form can help reduce occasional stress and provide a natural distraction from other thoughts and worries.

Taking 30 minutes a day to focus on movement, whether going for a walk, taking a yoga class or practicing high-intensity training, can support moods and help manage stress. Just don’t forget to hydrate! tracting devices like the television, computer or cellphone before bed and getting into bed earlier to encourage achieving a full eight hours of rest.

With these changes, the quality of sleep should improve, leaving you feeling happier, more refreshed and better able to accomplish tasks on your to-do list.

Safeguard Sleep

Sleep is important for your overall well-being. A survey conducted by the American Psychological Association found that many adults report that their stress increases when the length and quality of sleep decreases.

To help you fall asleep and stay asleep, try limiting or turning off dis-

Appease stress with Passion

A study published in The Annals of Behavioral Medicine found that finding a passion to pursue not only reduces stress levels, but also contributes to greater happiness overall.

Finding passion in a hobby or activity you love is a form of self-care and can make life feel a little less heavy. Setting aside time each day to focus on projects like decorating, painting, joining a book club or whatever inspires you can offer a sense of excitement and something to look forward to.

It can even be an opportunity to reset your overall outlook and mood. Acting on something you are truly passionate about is sure to keep stress levels at bay, so don’t hesitate to start a new project today.

Wellness Support with Botanicals

According to a poll from the American Psychological Association, more than half of Americans experience feelings of stress during their days.[5] Managing stress is important to our overall health and immune system, so choosing products that support both of those aspects of wellness is equally important. With a dietary supplement like Emergen-C Ashwagandha

Signs of Excessive Stress

The Mayo Clinic notes that stress can affect individuals’ bodies, moods and behaviors. No symptom of stress should be written off, especially if it’s ongoing. The following are some signs of excessive stress. The Body

• Headache • Muscle tension or pain • Chest pain • Fatigue • Change in sex drive • Stomach upset • Difficulty with sleep Mood

• Anxiety • Restlessness • Lack of motivation or focus • Feeling overwhelmed • Irritability or anger • Sadness or depression Behavior

• Overeating or undereating • Angry outbursts • Drug or alcohol misuse • Tobacco use • Social withdrawal • Exercising less often

Speaking with a health care professional can help individuals learn about the ways to address and manage the behavioral symptoms associated with stress.

Stress affects people from all walks of life. Learning to recognize the symptoms of stress is a good first step toward overcoming it and avoiding the long-term consequences of chronic stress. (MC) 

you can reduce occasional feelings of stress and support your immune system. For more information visit www. emergenc.com.

Focusing on how we can reduce occasional stress and finding ways to manage it on an ongoing basis offers a variety of wellness benefits. Simple everyday changes such as being active, getting a good night’s sleep, actively participating in passion projects and incorporating a daily supplement that supports the immune system are habits that can all add up to support well-being. (BPT) 