Beat stress the natural way every day

Stress is a significant problem in today’s world, so it’s important to learn how to beat stress using healthy techniques that you can maintain as part of your everyday routine.

Learning how to beat stress is part of adopting a healthy lifestyle

Even if you are eating a healthy nutritious diet and exercising regularly, you also need to pay attention to things like sleep and stress (to name but two factors). It’s no secret that experiencing high levels of stress on a regular basis will take its toll on your mental, emotional, and physical health. Now if that’s not a reason to learn techniques to beat stress, then I don’t know what is!

My top tips to beat stress the healthy way

As difficult as it is when you’re caught up in anxiety, try to look at your situation from an objective perspective. Is this worth being stressed about? Will this matter tomorrow, in a month, in a year’s time? If you feel in need of some clarity, do something that you enjoy that lifts your spirits. Sometimes that’s all you need to beat stress. If it’s something that makes you laugh, all the better: laughter is an important and often forgotten stress reliever.

This might sound ridiculously simple, but you need to learn to breathe deeply. Most of us breathe too quickly and shallowly, which actually increases stress. Try to breathe mindfully for at least a few minutes every day to gradually change your breathing pattern.

Learn to focus on one thing at a time. The art of multitasking actually increases stress and anxiety levels. Rather try to focus on one thing before attempting the next item on your ‘to do’ list.

Avoid screen time of any description for at least half an hour before bed. This will help you to relax, unwind, and ultimately sleep better. And we all know how much we heal through a good night’s sleep.

You know how people often ask for a hug when they’re upset? Well, it turns out that hugs (and by this I mean proper bear hugs) have been proven to lower the levels of stress hormones in your body.

I’ve blogged about this a lot, so I’m sure you know by now that exercise and nutrition are both great stress relievers. If you lack motivation, find a local personal trainer to get you on the right track. When it comes to nutrition, opt for healthy snacks like nuts when you feel like some comfort food. Just like  with breathing, try to eat your meals and snacks mindfully. It might sound strange, but this really is a good way to beat stress.

Before you reach for medication, remember that adopting a healthy lifestyle is without a doubt one of the best ways to beat stress!