To Stress Or Not To Stress

A recent study published in Scientific Reports suggests that stress may be bad for your health. But what constitutes stress? Is it different depending on age groups, or do the changes in our bodies as a result of aging have an effect as well? What are some ways to cope with stress that are good for you and your overall health?

One way to combat stress is with more and better sleep, which provides several benefits including helping our brain recover from the effects of excessive cortisol. Likewise, a healthy diet can help us maintain a healthy body weight by balancing blood sugar levels. If these suggestions aren't enough then there's always meditation or exercise. No matter how you choose to reduce your stress levels they should remain at manageable levels when balanced properly.

A great way to reduce stress is with exercise, which not only helps combat the hormonal changes that take place in response to stress, but helps strengthen our endocrine systems and the immune system as well.

Stress has become a part of life for many people. Just listening to our news headlines can be enough to induce stress: There are wars, financial difficulties and everyday stresses like traffic jams and work deadlines. Stress is also one of the reasons why hospitals provide patients with television sets. . . . Patients receiving treatment for illnesses ranging from heart disease to cancer can watch TV for a couple of hours as a distraction from their hospital surroundings, according to a report published in The Journal of Pain last year.

Although it is impossible to eliminate stress, you'll be better able to cope with it by maintaining a healthy lifestyle that includes healthy eating and regular exercise. In this way, your body will respond less strongly to stressful situations. And, there's one other thing you can do: make a conscious decision not to take your worries too seriously and learn how to relax.

Stress Awareness Day 2017 is on June 15th, which may seem like the perfect time to start a new 'relaxation routine'. Included above are three great ways to relax on your own: Yoga, Meditation & Deep Breathing.

The following tips may help you relax and minimize stress:

- Stay in the present moment as much as possible by taking time out from busy schedules and over-thinking.

- Get enough sleep every night so that your mind and body can rejuvenate themselves during rest. . . . We all know how important sleep is for our health, but did you know that lack of sleep can make us more stressed? Research has shown that even just a few days of less than 6 hours of sleep can negatively affect our ability to cope with the pressures of life.

- When you're feeling stressed, try to avoid making important life decisions.

- Make time for fun and relaxation every day. Do something that makes you feel happy or proud.

- Engage in activities that will reduce stress – such as jogging, swimming, taking a long walk, reading a book or listening to music. It's also a good idea to learn meditation or any other method of reducing stress that works for you.

- When you feel stressed, focus on breathing deeply.

- Breathe in slowly through your nose to the count of 4 and out slowly through your mouth to the count of 8. You don't have to say anything with each breath.

- Repeat this exercise for 10 breaths or until you feel the stress begin to dissipate. Then breathe normally into your lungs and out through your nose, repeating each breath for 4 long and deep breaths before starting again.

To Stress Or Not To Stress? See which activities are best for you & how they affect your health! http://www.healthylivingtipsfortoday.org/stress/stress_article/ . . . . . . http://www.buzzfeed.com/annagriffiths/things-to-do-when-youre-stressed#.nq3txrAa5

8 Steps to Calm Your Mind in A Hectic World: Have you ever felt totally overwhelmed by what's going on around you? Like your mind is so busy that you can't focus? We all go through times like this. It's called "white noise." And it happens when our minds are bombarded with too much input, information, and choices at one time. These situations can be hard to avoid — especially in the hectic world we live in today, where we're constantly being assaulted by an endless supply of information from all sides. The problem is our brains were not designed to deal with such large quantities of information. So, when our brains are exposed to too much at once, they become overloaded and we feel stressed and anxious.

The good news is that white noise is 100% mental and you can do something about it. Here are some tips that will help you quiet your thoughts and get you back in the present moment:

1. Know Your Triggers -- Often times (but not always), you'll know what situations or events trigger your anxiety. Think about it; there's a good chance you're aware of what prompts your anxiety and how you can avoid it. For example, maybe you're anxious when you have to meet new people for the first time after work. Or maybe you feel anxious when you're grocery shopping or driving on busy roads. Knowing this information is crucial to getting control of your feelings and reactions and learning how to stop yourself from reacting to triggers by saying "no" or taking action in other ways — say, by making coffee instead of driving and by stopping short of the supermarket door, as mentioned above.

2. Take a Breather -- In times of great stress, we often react in ways that cause more stress. For instance, instead of avoiding stressful situations altogether, we may unintentionally end up doing things that are even more stressful. For example, when you feel stressed and anxious, you may close the door to your home. This is a common response to avoid the anxiety you're feeling by getting some space and escaping from it all. But this is actually causing additional anxiety! When you close the door and block out your house and everything in it, your brain thinks something awful is happening while you're away from it all — so it starts to create a lot of stress inside your head.

3. Take a Walk — One of the best ways to calm down when your mind feels anxious is to take a walk or a series of short bathroom trips. The process of taking several very quick, controlled steps helps your brain relax and restores the oxygen supply in your brain by releasing tension in the muscles as you move. It's like mental exercise that calms you. If you can't take a walk, try lowering yourself slowly into an easy armchair, one leg at at time. This is also a good way to release tension in the arms and shoulders.

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Conclusion -- Of course, you can take a few other simple steps to calm your mind -- such as drinking a cup of tea, taking a walk outside and/or spending some time relaxing in the bath — but we hope this list helps you find just one or two simple steps that will help you relax and get back in the moment.

3 Easy Chakra Exercises That'll Really Improve Your Health & Emotional Well-Being http://www.healthyfoodhouseblog.com/health-wellness/chakra-exercises . . . . . . http://www.buzzfeed.