Everyday habits to help with managing stress

September 17, 2021 |read icon 5 min read
Two friends hiking along a peaceful seaside cliff as the sun rises behind them.

It’s no secret that managing stress is a major part of most people’s daily lives. A 2020 Gallup poll found that 60% of Americans experience daily stress, a figure largely consistent with pre-pandemic polling numbers. This is a worrying trend, as chronic stress is known to be associated with a myriad of health problems that can have a negative impact on your quality of life.

Many of our stressors are things we can’t really remove from our lives — work, family or politics — and many people are left wondering how to reduce stress. This makes it especially important to develop healthy habits for managing stress and preserving your peace of mind.

Here are a few methods you can incorporate into your everyday routine to help reduce stress and improve your well-being.

1. Get regular exercise

Exercise has a powerful effect on your overall mood. It simultaneously reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol while promoting the secretion of endorphins, the “feel-good” hormone. The combination of these hormonal changes can boost your mood and contribute to a happier, more content feeling throughout the day.

Physical exercise can also be a form of mindfulness meditation. It brings your full attention and focus to your body, including its movements and the physical sensations of the exercise, which all combine to shift your mind’s focus away from any stressors that may be present.

This is especially true for more complicated physical exercises like weightlifting and aerobic exercise that demand a high level of focus and concentration to complete.

2. Practice journaling

Journaling is one of the easiest and most effective ways for managing stress. Numerous studies attest to the mental health benefits of journaling, particularly its ability to reduce stress and anxiety and alleviate symptoms of depression.

Writing out what’s on your mind gives you the space to process your thoughts, feelings and emotions. It helps put a cluttered mind at ease by making sense of complicated thoughts and pinpointing stressors. Journaling helps you navigate your problems and find ways to work through them. Over time, you can use your journal to track your progress and improvement.

3. Chat with a friend or family member

Socializing with friends or family can reduce stress by diverting your attention away from stressors and reinforcing the relationships that are important to you. This could be as simple as calling a friend or family member to catch up, organizing a lunch or dinner date, or going for a short walk.

If you want to commit yourself to a larger social circle, you can also join groups that share your interests. This has the double effect of providing you a social outlet while also enabling you to engage with ideas and activities that you enjoy.

4. Reduce caffeine and alcohol

Moderating your intake of caffeine and alcohol can also have positive results if you’re wondering how to reduce stress.

Caffeine is a stimulant that can improve memory, focus and concentration in small amounts. But consumed in excess, caffeine actually mimics many of the body’s physiological responses to stress, including increased heart rate and high blood pressure, which can induce anxiety.

More than that, consuming caffeine too late in the day can disrupt your sleep at night. Failing to get adequate sleep can have a negative impact on your mental health and worsen stress during the day.

It’s also important to reduce your consumption of alcohol. Although alcohol can temporarily boost your mood, overconsumption can eventually lessen your body’s levels of serotonin, an important hormone responsible for stabilizing mood and well-being. This could explain the feeling of anxiety many people report the day after a night of drinking.

Ameritas is with you

Life is hectic, and it can be difficult to completely remove the stressors from your life. This is especially true in volatile, unpredictable times. It’s essential to find reliable ways to help with managing stress so you can live your life in peace, calm and contentment.

Ameritas is in the business of fulfilling life. Bringing you valuable information to help you plan well and enjoy life is part of what we do.

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