What is Stress?

Stress - the word that many of us are used to hearing when describing experiences in life.  Stress has proved to be beneficial in certain aspects as it can motivate you to complete tasks at hand, but stress on a larger scale can result in feeling overwhelmed and lead to a lower quality of life.  However, not to fear, there are some simple ways for you to be able to identify the physical indicators that you are undergoing stress as well as some simple methods you can use to relieve these feelings of stress.

How Does Stress Affect You?

Stress can affect your body both physically and mentally, where difficulty and lack of concentration may arise, along with mood swings, may be followed by the physical symptoms of an aching body, headaches, trouble sleeping, and even jaw pain.  These identifiers may worsen over time if the stress is not dealt with as levels of cortisol will increase in your brain, which in turn can weaken the immune system; making you more susceptible to getting sick.  This is why stress management is very important, to take care of yourself to prevent these symptoms from worsening in order to live your best life every day.

Stress Management Tips

One simple way to manage stress is to exercise.  Allowing your body to move daily produces stress-relieving hormones throughout your body which can increase your physical health.  Practicing relaxation, being able to manage your time, as well as setting aside time for self-care are also other great ways to decrease stress.  Most importantly, understanding your body and its needs are on the forefront, as you know yourself best and your needs.  By accepting your needs, you'll be able to decrease your stress to healthier levels and notice a change in your life as well as less physical symptoms that can be problematic. Hopefully you'll be able to apply these stress management tips into your lifestyle to ensure happier living!