If you're currently experiencing stress, please know that you are not alone. Many people are experiencing high levels of stress in recent years, and it's crucial to recognize the benefits of stress management and take the necessary steps to find support. Going through stressful situations alone can be overwhelming and detrimental to your well-being.
Having a supportive community to help reduce the effects of stress is important because social isolation is a major risk factor for deteriorating mental health. Be sure to reach out to friends and professionals if you are struggling.
Read on to learn more about stress, the benefits of stress management, and 10 helpful ways you can minimize stress, starting today!
Understanding Stress
Stress is something we all experience. It’s a feeling of emotional or physical tension, and it can come from any event or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, or nervous. In limited amounts, stress can be positive, such as when it helps you avoid danger or meet a deadline. But when stress lasts for a long time, it can harm your health. Understanding stress and learning the benefits of stress management can improve your mental and physical health.
Stress Awareness
The first step in handling stress is to create stress awareness. Stress awareness is important in our communities, workplaces, schools, and families. It's easy to become overwhelmed by the busyness of daily life and to forget to pay attention to rising stress levels. When stress runs high it can often spill out onto others around us, and it can have serious health consequences.
Pause for a moment to reflect on the stressors in your life, and think about all of the factors that contribute to that stress. Now that you have a little more stress awareness, it's time to think about how to find support, and the benefits of stress management in your daily life.
10 Ways to Manage Stress + Feel the Benefits of Stress Management
Below are 10 ways to manage stress and gain the benefits for stress management from the National Alliance on Mental Illness website.
1. Accept your needs. Identify the factors that trigger stress for you. Which situations cause you to feel physically and mentally overwhelmed? Once you have a better understanding of your stress triggers, you can make an effort to avoid them when possible and implement coping strategies when you can't.
2. Manage your time. Prioritizing activities can help you use your time more wisely. Making a day-to-day schedule helps ensure you don’t feel overwhelmed by daily tasks and deadlines. Tools like organizational apps, to-do lists in your phone, and old fashioned pen and paper all help manage your time.
3. Practice relaxation. Deep breathing, meditation, and muscle relaxation are good ways to calm yourself. Taking breaks to refocus your thoughts and emotions can have long-term benefits for stress management. Apps like Calm and Headspace can help you practice mindfulness and relaxation and create new habits in as little as a few minutes a day.
4. Exercise daily. Schedule time to walk outside, ride a bike, or join a dance class. Whatever you do, make sure it’s fun! Daily exercise naturally produces stress-relieving hormones in your body and improves your overall physical health.
5. Set aside time for yourself. Schedule time for something that makes you feel good. It might be reading a book, going to the movies, getting a massage, taking your dog for a walk, gardening, listening to music, writing, or cooking a new recipe. Prioritize activities that bring you joy and peace of mind.
6. Eat well. Eating unprocessed foods, like whole grains, vegetables, and fresh fruit is the foundation for a healthy body and mind. Eating well can also help stabilize your mood and blood sugar.
7. Get enough sleep. Some mental health conditions and physical symptoms can be triggered by getting too little sleep. Prioritizing sleep is paramount to good health!
8. Avoid alcohol and drugs. Alcohol and drugs do not provide relief from stress; in fact, they tend to make it worse. If you find yourself grappling with substance abuse, it is essential to educate yourself about their harmful effects and seek help.
9. Bond with your pet. Taking care of a cat, dog, or even a fish can reduce stress and help you focus on something other than yourself. Diverting your attention from stressful triggers can lead to increased relaxation and stress relief.
10. Talk to someone. Engaging in open and honest conversations with friends, family members, professional counselors, or support groups can be a huge comfort. Although it may seem daunting at first, connecting with a counselor or joining a support group can ultimately provide a liberating sense of relief.
Finding ways to relieve your stress can lead to greater happiness and contentment as well as a significant improvement in physical and mental health. Try some of these tips today to start feeling the benefits of stress management.
Exym Mental Health EHR Software
We know that our customers work hard in stressful fields to support others. We work with providers in the realms of foster care, substance use, schools, residential treatment, and behavioral health. If you’re a provider of mental health services we want to support YOU, so you can provide the best care possible to your clients. If you're looking for intuitive mental health EHR software that will lower your stress level and make your life easier, please consider Exym.
Exym is a comprehensive EHR software solution designed specifically for behavioral health agencies. Trusted for 20+ years, our intuitive and customizable software empowers providers to improve client outcomes, manage revenue cycles, and increase agency efficiency. Exym allows you to spend more time on what matters most- the clients in your care.
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