Spending our days at school or work can leave us feeling extremely stressed, especially in the summer heat. This could lead to feelings of dissatisfaction, poor sleep and other health side effects that we may not realise. Try to manage stress in your everyday life with these simple, achievable ways and give yourself the gift of long-term happiness and stress reduction.
Food can make a big difference
Several studies report that your diet can affect your cortisol, especially due to excess consumption of high-calorie, highly saturated fat-based foods and sugars. High stress can also lead to behaviours such as binge eating causing one to consume an unhealthy amount of calories, fats and carbohydrates. This can have long-term impacts on the chemical balance in your body and affect other aspects of your health. It is recommended to eat a healthy and balanced diet to improve physiological health, which will consequently impact your mood and mental health as well.
Get moving
It is no secret that regularly engaging in physical movement can release dopamine in the brain, which can help regulate your mood and overcome stress. It could be walks, running, dancing, zumba or going to the gym that get you moving. Any form of physical activity, even if it’s only for 10 minutes daily, can significantly improve your mental health and reduce stress.
Make your bed every day
Experts say that making your bed isn’t just an activity to help you clean your room. When you engage with the process of decluttering, your brain is actively engaging with organisation skills and ‘mentally discarding’ unnecessary thoughts or worries as well. Doing it every morning leaves you with a sense of satisfaction and you come home to a cleaner room, leading to increased feelings of relaxation.
Every day is self-care day
Doing something for yourself every day can rewire your brain entirely. Whether it’s cooking, reading a few pages or making time to enjoy music, self-care activities go a long way in reducing stress. This is also because most of our stress factors stem from things we feel we cannot control and regaining a sense of control over our time can help us feel more calm and relaxed. A little bit of ‘me’ time every day is essential for long-term happiness and stress reduction.
Reduce screen-time
Excess exposure to screens can emit harmful rays which can affect our sleep cycle and affect the neurochemical balance in our brains. Try taking time off social media and be mindful of how much time you spend online.
Try using these tips in your daily life and watch your stress levels reduce as you learn to practice stress-free living.
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