Face it: Life is hard. From having to worry about putting food on the table and making a marriage work to taking care of children and dealing with illness, there are a multitude of things that a person has to deal with in life. They say that there are two major periods of increased stress in the lives of most people: going off to college and getting married. College presents young men and women with plenty of new stressors that might include: unfamiliarity with a new location, homesickness, lack of friends, difficult classes and exams, peer pressure, and more. While being a time of great joy, marriage also brings stress along for the ride. How to propose, picking out the perfect wedding dress, planning a wedding, spending lots of money, and the acceptance of the parents are just some of the causes of stress involved with holy matrimony. Since stress is clearly an unavoidable aspect of life, we need to learn how to deal with it in a healthy and effective way. The following are some great ways to reduce your stress levels and enjoy life just a bit more.
1) Eat right
Having a well-balanced and nutritious diet is a proven method for living a healthy, happy life. That’s right, you can decrease the amount of stress in your own life by eating the right foods and drinking the right beverages. How can eating habits affect stress, you ask? Well, first of all, eating a diet rich in vitamins and minerals will make your body feel good. When you feel good, you are less prone to be grumpy and moody. When you obtain sufficient amounts of carbs, proteins, fats, and other nutrients on a regular basis, the body will receive all of the necessary nutrition to function normally. This means that your organs will have no trouble performing their typical functions, greatly decreasing the risk for pain and disease.
Now that you know how important eating right can be, what foods should you consume and in what quantities? The general guidelines for healthy eating can be explained by the food pyramid. As long as you follow this diagram pretty closely, you should be getting all of the essential nutrients to stress less, feel good, and look good too.
Many herbs are known to have anti-stress properties. By relieving the ailments that cause stress, these herbs can improve your mood and treat your symptoms at the same time. Chamomile is believed to reduce stomach pains, and peppermint is used to treat stomach ulcers. Cayenne pepper aids in blood circulation while valerian root can help you if you have trouble sleeping. Parsley, hawthorn berries, and rosemary also have excellent stress-reducing effects.
2) Exercise
Alongside a healthful diet, exercise can help to relieve stress in several ways. Like eating right, regular exercise will keep the body functioning correctly so that illness can be prevented. Bodily pains, cramping, tiredness, poor circulation, and many other symptoms can be significantly reduced with exercise. When these ailments are gone, you will feel much happier. The more time you spend feeling happy, the less time you spend stressing out.
Exercise also helps to shape the body, morphing your flabby physique into that of a Greek god or goddess. You can still look the way you did in your high school years at twice or triple the age with a combination of resistance training and cardiovascular exercise. When you’ve burned off all that excess fat, added lean, mean muscle, and fit into your favorite outfits, your self-confidence will shoot through the roof. You will be happy with yourself, and stress will be nowhere in sight.
3) Do what you love
A great way to lower your daily stress is to engage in activities that you love. Whether it’s painting and gardening or playing tennis and collecting things, you will feel joy when you can enjoy your life. If you currently don’t have a favorite hobby, pick one up! There’s probably something out there that you’ve always wanted to do but never had the chance to, so now is the time to make it a reality. Group activities are great stress relievers as well. Interacting with others can be very therapeutic when you share your troubles with a close friend or family member. Getting that weight off your chest could suck the stress right out of your body for good.