14 Ways to Effectively Manage Stress

Stress can come from pretty much anything in life whether it’s about work, spouse, kids, finance, etc…We all have stress. But how do we manage stress? Do we ever stop to think about how we can make our stress levels better if we just acknowledge that we are stressed and what we can do to take care of it? Before we continue, let me preface that I am no way a doctor. This is just a topic I am passionate about and research to better my life and my families. So, let’s tackle 14 ways to effectively manage stress.

First, let me walk you through what I see as three categories of stress.

3 Categories of Stress

Physical Stress: This can be from an accident, injuries, traumas.
Chemical Stress: This can be from bacteria, viruses, hangovers, heavy metals, blood sugar levels, and toxins your body is exposed to.
Emotional Stress: This can be from family tragedies, loss, jobs, finances, spouse, children.

Stress Effects

All of these things cause an imbalance in the body. When the body is stressed its releasing cortisone and adrenaline. Running on adrenaline and being stressed all the time, requires you to globalize resources from your gut, immune system, and putting that energy in your muscles to fight for your life. All of this can then lead to poor memory, poor concentration, unable to eliminate toxins properly, unable to digest food well, and the next thing you know, your immune system is compromised. Stress compromises the immune system. When your gut health is not good, your health is not either. You’ll find yourself sick all the time, fatigue, mood swings, etc. Trust me, I know first-hand. I have been seeing a holistic doctor to personally help me understand why I’m fatigued and not always feeling well. Turns out, after tons of blood samples and other tests, I am stressed a lot. I don’t ever feel like I’m stressed all the time, but apparently, I am and not dealing with it the way I should. This is why this topic is a passion of mine. I want to help others recognize when they are stressed and how to relieve their situations.

Are there ways we can help manage stress? Absolutely! You may already know of some of the basic ways to do so as well. But I wanted to write this article based on experiences I’ve either seen or experienced myself that work. I want to be able to help others deal and manage stress because stress ultimately affects your overall health and well-being. We only have one life to live, I want to ensure I make it a long one.

Whenever you feel stressed I recommend trying my personal favorite top stress relievers.

14 Ways to Effectively Manage Stress

#1 Acknowledge You Are Stressed

This is a hard one to do because I would never really stop to think about me actually being stressed during a certain situation. I am training my mind to stop, and say “okay, I’m stressed, and need to step away for a minute to decompress.” By doing this, you’re allowing yourself to do whatever is necessary to distress.

#2 Take a Walk

Walks are the BEST! My husband has a very high-stress job in IT Sales. Whenever he is working from home and I notice he’s stressed, I always make him take a quick 20 min break and go for a walk. Just being able to step away from the situation for a few minutes alone will help you decompress and clear your head. I did this when I had to go into the office all the time and was stressed out. Even just a short walk helps.

#3 Take a Bath

Who doesn’t love a good bath? Whether in the day or night, baths are always calming. Dim the lights, light some candles, listen to calming music, sip on tea (or maybe some wine), and some essential oils and relax.

#4 Essential Oils

I am a big believer in essential oils. I find them so comforting and use them for a variety of things, not just stress. But essential oils such as lavender, chamomile, frankincense, peace and calming, and stress away are some of my favorites. You can apply them on your wrists, earlobes, heart, mixed with some coconut oil, or you can simply diffuse them in the room. We diffuse a ton of oils in our house, especially right before bed.

#5 Meditation

This is something I have recently started incorporating into my daily routine. Since finding out I have a lot of stress, (probably due to kids and rushing from one place to the next), I am learning to help myself stay grounded. I recently downloaded the Insight Timer app from my phone and meditate for 20 minutes after I drop the kids off at school and before bed. I alternate each day between day and night meditation to see when it helps me best. Since I’m new to it, I find it challenging, yet very rewarding to get my mind to stop.

#6 Stop Working After 8 PM

For those with jobs that have you working around the clock (my hubby has one of those), I recommend that each night you turn off the laptop and put the phone away so you can allow your mind to relax. If you work right before you go to bed, you’ll find your mind racing all through the night. Same with me…I work, meal prep, take care of the kids, and blogging. I need to set aside some ME time.

#7 Write it Down

In addition to stopping working after 8 PM, I encourage myself and my hubby to write a to-do list each night before we go to bed or as soon as we’re done working. This has helped me A LOT. I highly recommend everyone do this. When I can physically see my to-do list for the next couple of days, my mind stops wandering and I am able to sleep much better. Your list can include anything that needs to get done. Add to it each night and cross-off what’s been done. This has definitely helped me manage stress.

#8 Eat Clean

It’s so important to eat super clean and healthy. Eat real foods that will balance your hormones, heal your gut, and give you energy. I’m talking about fruits, veggies, lean protein, nuts, dried fruits, etc…The gut and the brain are constantly sending signals to each other, so keeping the bacteria in the gut healthy, your brain feels less stressed. Stay away from processed foods and sugar. No good comes out of it. Of course, every once in awhile it’s okay to indulge, but try not to eat it every day.

#9 Breathe

Something I have been teaching my 5 and 3-year old boys lately when they are upset is to breathe. Whenever they get emotionally upset or angry, we go to a quiet room and calm down. I try to practice with them to take deep breaths so we can talk when they are calm. This goes for adults as well. I am showing my kids that mommy needs to breathe and have “quiet moments” when upset. We lead by example after all. I caught myself the other morning when my son tried to pour his own water and the whole cup slipped out of his hands and onto the floor right before leaving the house. I just took a few deep breaths and cleaned it up. Breathing will help lower blood pressure, stress, and heart rate.

#10 Journaling

Very similar to making a list however, this is great for folks who need to just write about their day. Take the chance to write down the best and worst of each day and perhaps this will also help sort out any problems you are having. Sometimes writing it all down releases the stress. You leave it all on the notepad. My husband has tried this a few times and he said it helps a lot.

#11 Yoga

Yoga is one of my favorite workouts because it’s so calming. You are constantly listening to your body as you transition in each pose as you practice your breathing. It challenges you to train your mind to focus and breathe. Most yoga studios even offer meditation classes.

#12 Exercise

Exercise releases tension and stress. If you’ve had a bad day, punching a bag or going for a run can help relieve the stress. Pick something that you enjoy doing. Find an exercise partner. Whatever workout you choose to do, enjoy it and make it a habit to incorporate it into your life a few days a week.

#13 Learn to Say No

Oftentimes, I find myself hearing people, including myself and my husband, say that we’re stressed because we’re doing too much. Our plates are full and we continue to add more than we can handle. We over-commit to things. Sometimes learning to just say “No” can be the best medicine. Don’t over commit to anything. Say no, push things back a few days. Give yourself a chance to breathe and relax.

#14 Listen to Music

I encourage my husband to listen to relaxing music when he can’t fall asleep or is stressed out. He enjoys jazz so listening to that for a bit to relax his mind is helpful. Just like how listening to pumped up music when working out gets us going, sometimes listening to soft relaxing music to calm us down is just as helpful.

Like I had mentioned before, I know a lot of these are super basic and things you already knew, but I hope these 14 ways to effectively manage stress is a reminder of the steps you can take to help you become more mindful of yourself and your stressful situations. Take care of yourself so you can be a better YOU.

XO,

Natalie

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