Stress can be said to be the strain that we experience in our body that leads to an increase in respiration, heart beat rate, blood pressure, metabolism and flow of blood to our muscles. It is always brought about by demanding everyday situations and conditions.Mental and physical stress can be as a result of any of unhappiness at work, working long hours, discrimination, denial of rights and privileges, financial difficulties, emotional problems, illness, the death of a loved one, marriage and relationship issues and many others. Though stress is a part of everyday life, it still has to be controlled and managed to enable one to live a healthy, stable and fulfilled life. Listed below are ways we can manage mental and physical stress in order to live a healthy life.
1. Exercise regularly
Exercising every day remains the best option for relieving stress. when you exercise, your system hormones are sent into action as they will work to increase body metabolism. 20 minutes' exercise daily does much in tackling stress. It's important you walk for at least 25 minutes daily. Even if you have a tight schedule, try to factor in body exercise in your daily routine. It has a way of also increasing your life expectancy. It will relieve you of tensions and restore that happy face.
2. Eat a balanced diet
What you take into your body goes a long way to determine how your body functions. Body metabolism and detoxification depend to a great deal on what you eat. Avoid sugary foods and other foods that can increase tension. Ensure you eat more natural foods. Fruits should always be included in our meals so as to help build our immune system against diseases. The popular science, Ayurveda preaches a balanced diet. Ayurveda believes that there are six major tastes of a balanced diet which should always be incorporated into our meal. These six Ayurveda tastes are salty, sweet, sour, bitter, pungent and astringent. It is important that we become intentional in our meals.
3. Practice Alternative Therapy
Alternative therapy is a powerful tool in managing both physical and mental stress and restoring a happy life. Body massage is known to releases stress stored within the body. Massage creams made from herbs such as Ashwagandha, Pudina, Withania Somnifera, and Hibiscus Rosa Sinensis are known to be very effective in stress relief as they contain natural ingredients which bring about a soothing effect on the body. Other alternative therapies include yoga, acupuncture, and homeopathy.
4. Relaxation
Since stress is brought about by increased tension, relaxation remains an effective natural mode of relieving it. Try as much as possible to take yourself away from work, people and noise from time to time so as to declutter your mind. Visiting natural environments like parks and quiet water bodies like lakes and beaches is a powerful way of shifting your focus from the daily demands that mar your peace. So it is good to spend some time alone or with nature where you just lie on your back, play some cool music in your headphones and admire the environment. You can also try soaking yourself in the bathtub with some fragrant bath salts for a couple of hours where you just enjoy your time alone.
5. Sleep Soundly
Ayurveda describes sleep as the nursemaid of humanity. Finding enough time to sleep must not be joked with. It is crucial that you sleep naturally without the aid of medication. Children need 9 - 10 hours of sleep daily whereas for adults, 7 - 8 hours is ideal. Sleep allows the body to revive itself, repair tissues, slow down the aging process and regain lost energy for another day of work. Ayurveda products made with Nardostachys Jatamansi helps reduce stress and improve sleep.
6. Live an organized life
One of the significant causes of stress is pressure resulting from our attitude to life. When you are careless about things that should be done and when they should be done, you place yourself under undue pressure when you fail to achieve your goals. If this is allowed over a long time, it can result in depression. As much as possible, plan every week and day in advance. From the early hours of the day, tackle the most important targets for the day. Brian Tracy calls it the ugliest frog. Doing the most important things first will reduce or eliminate the mental pressure that comes from unhappiness. The target should not be to do a lot of things but to do at least the three most important things among your goals. Set targets with deadlines. Break the targets down into daily activities. Ensure you do much before the deadline draws near. This way, you avoid most mental stresses that can be avoided.
7. Decide to be happy
Mental stress comes from deep-seated unhappiness. When things around you are not what you desire, you must learn not to allow them to weigh you down mentally. If someone should disappoint you or hurt you, it is in your best interest to understand that people can change. They may be several reasons why the person behaved in that manner which did hurt you. Recall that people are not perfect so mentally allow for such. Learn to persevere at all time.
8. Share your problems
Have someone who you trust and who will sit and discuss with you. This could be a family member or friend. With this person, you should be able to voice out your frustrations and release the anger within you. You can also have a punching bag on which you vent your anger as you punch away and yell at it. This will help you gain some relief after the activity.
