5 Simple Tips for Managing Stress
Work, bills, family… There are a lot of potential sources of stress in just about everyone‘s life. You probably find
yourself feeling stressed out more often than you would like, but do you realize just how detrimental on-going stress can be to your health?
According to research, stress can cause physiological responses that are commonly associated with heart disease. When you‘re feeling stressed, your body releases hormones that raise your blood pressure and cause your heart to beat faster. When this occurs regularly, damage to the artery walls can occur. Cortisol, or the “stress hormone” also leads to excess belly fat, which could cause a number of painful symptoms, including back pain.
While you may not be able to avoid all of the stressful situations in your life, there are several things that you can do to minimize the impact that stress has on your body. Check out these simple tips for managing stress:
1. Practice Deep Breathing.
When you are facing an immediate stressful situation, take a couple slow, deep breaths. Take a few minutes to really concentrate on your breathing, envisioning the stress being blown away from your body. Even just taking 10 deep breaths can relax the body.
2. Get Up and Move!
When you exercise, your body releases feel-good hormones known as endorphins. In addition to immediately improving your mode, physical activity will also relieve muscle tension and ease the aches and pains of stress, such as tension headaches. By removing yourself from a stressful situation to take a brief walk, you are also allowing your mind to refocus so that you can better handle the situation.
3. Schedule “Me” Time.
With today‘s busy lifestyles, it can be difficult to schedule time for yourself. Between working overtime, running the kids back and forth to practice and managing a household, you may feel like there simply isn‘t enough time in the day to enjoy “me” time. No matter how busy you are, though, you should always take at least a few minutes to yourself each day to relax and unwind.
4. Make Time for Fun.
Your normal to-do list may be a mile long, but that doesn‘t mean you shouldn‘t find time to spend with family and friends. Spending time with loved ones is a great way to manage stress. Whether you‘re talking through stressful situations or just enjoying the company of someone else and laughing ‘til your sides hurt, spending time with others is a good way to manage stress.
5. Seek Regular Chiropractic Care.
Chronic stress leads to muscle tension and contraction, which can lead to pain as well as spinal misalignment. When you see a chiropractor regularly, these misalignments can be detected and corrected before they turn into major problems. Routine alignments also release muscle tension, and you are likely to leave your appointment feeling a lot less stressed out.
You may not be able to completely avoid stressful situations in your life, but you do have the ability to control just how much power stress has. By taking a few simple steps and finding time to see a chiropractor on a regular basis, you can greatly reduce the harmful impact of stress on your life. If you are in need of a chiropractor in Denver, contact Denver South Chiropractic now by calling 303-757-7272.