No one is immune to stress, whether it’s from a job, personal relationship, or anything else. However, there are many healthy ways to reduce and prevent stress, and avoid the physical, emotional, and mental pitfalls that follow, such as gastrointestinal issues, headaches, depression, and irritability. Here, review stress management tips that contribute to a healthy outlook.

5 Stress Management Tips to Practice Routinely

1. Exercise

Find workouts you love, such as dancing, kickboxing, yoga, or HIIT, and aim to exercise four to five days a week. In addition to what it does for the body, exercise releases endorphins that improve your mood. The confidence boost completing workouts often brings also helps you feel great and beat stress.

2. Breathe Deeply

Make deep breathing a regular activity to instantly reduce your blood pressure, relax your body and mind, lower your heart rate, and increase feelings of calm. Diaphragmatic breathing, or breathing through your diaphragm instead of your lungs, particularly helps stress management due in part to its association with meditation.

3. Train Yourself in Positive Self-Talk

Be mindful of negative self-talk, such as “I can’t do it,” “That [x] event will go horribly,” “[X] person doesn’t really love me,” and so on. Train your brain to immediately switch to positive self-talk that improves your attitude and outlook, such as complimenting yourself for checking items off your to-do list and acknowledging that everyone makes mistakes.

4. Enjoy a Healthy, Varied Diet

Focus on whole foods that improve your mood, unlike sugary and processed fare that shares a link with depression. Add nuts, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and fish to your diet to enjoy a healthier body and mind. These foods help stabilize blood sugar to improve neurotransmitter secretions among other stress management benefits.

5. Reduce Alcohol, Nicotine, & Caffeine Intake

Avoid stimulants that interfere with relaxation, such as coffee, soda, and tobacco products containing nicotine. Also, limit your alcohol consumption since libations work as stimulants in small doses and depressants in large amounts, both of which do nothing for your mood. 

Discuss these and other effective stress management techniques with the therapists and life coaches at Counseling Solutions of Alaska. Featuring locations in Anchorage and Eagle River, this counseling center has served the region since 2007 to help residents overcome depression, manage anxiety and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and improve communication skills. Call (907) 644-8044 (Anchorage) or (907) 689-3450 (Eagle River) today to schedule an appointment, or learn more about stress management services online. Get additional communication tools on Facebook.