Why is it important to manage my stress level?
Living with high levels of stress, puts your entire well-being at risk. Stress is bad for your emotional health and your physical health. It affects your ability to think clearly, function effectively, and enjoy life.
Some stress is caused by short-term stuff, like an important deadline or a big test. That kind of stress can be easy to manage and is over soon. Other stress is caused by long-term issues. You might be able to relieve your stress by finding out what the cause is and addressing that issue. For example, if you’re constantly stressed out because of money, then you may need to look at your budget. All those $5.00 cups of fancy coffee and $8 Uber rides can really add up!
But sometimes stress is unavoidable and there isn’t an easy fix. If you’re juggling work, school, and family obligations, it may seems like things are never going to get better! That’s why learning how to manage your stress level is very important.
1. Avoid any unnecessary stress. If certain people, places, or situation are causing you a lot of stress, do your best to avoid them. Sometimes this isn’t possible, of course, but if you know that a certain co-worker really presses your buttons, do your best to avoid interacting with them.
2. Avoid alcohol, sugar, and tobacco. Also, avoid drinking too much caffeine, especially energy drinks. These things might make you feel good in the short term, but they don’t help in the long run.
3. Get outside and get some exercise. Exercise releases endorphins that make you feel good. Studies show that spending time outside might reduce stress and improve mood. Shoot for 30 minutes of exercise every day or so. If you can’t get outside, check out some free YouTube exercise channels, most don’t require any fancy equipment and you can do them in your living room.
4. Try some relaxation exercises. There are several meditation apps (many people like Calm). You can also look on YouTube for free relaxation videos.
5. Get some sleep. Try to maintain a consistent sleep schedule by going to bed and getting up at the same time every day.
6 Connect with others. Don’t just mindlessly scroll through Facebook and Twitter, try to hang out with someone in person. Meet up with an old friend, schedule a study session with a classmate, join a club at school, or do some volunteer work. Studies show that spending time with friends helps lower your stress.
7. Take a social media break. Social media might have a negative effect on your mental health. So consider limiting your use or taking a break entirely.
8. Take some time to relax. If you keep going at 1000% you will burn yourself out. So schedule some down time. Take a bath, read a book, zone out and watch some Netflix.
9. Know when you need to get help and schedule some time to see a therapist.
