Collaborative post by Aniya Paige
While it’s common to encounter stressors in daily life because of work, school, or family matters, chronic stress is increasingly becoming a health problem across societies. In the United States, for example, the American Psychological Association reveals that long-term stress is at an all-time high, mainly due to collective trauma from health crises, inflation, geopolitical tensions, and other socioeconomic factors. Due to high stress levels, those aged 35 to 44 reported the most significant increase in chronic health conditions, from 48% in 2019 to 58% in 2023.
These figures imply that stress plays a role in health and well-being, entailing the need to examine why stress management is important and how you can integrate it into your daily routine for a healthier, happier lifestyle.
Why you need to manage your stress
Whether the stress arises from a perceived or actual event, hormones like cortisol are triggered to pump blood and oxygen quickly, leading to a quicker heart rate and increased mental alertness to prepare the body for survival. With acute stress, this mechanism, known as the fight-or-flight response, can happen briefly as hormone levels return to normal.
But it’s a different conversation for chronic stress. Constantly triggering the fight-or-flight response and elevated hormone levels can contribute to weight gain in the overweight vs obesity spectrum. Their body mass index (BMI) classifications may differ, but both stress-induced conditions can further develop into other chronic illnesses like diabetes and hypertension if left untreated. Chronic stress can also affect eating patterns, as cortisol increases cravings for high-calorie foods and contributes to unhealthy weight gain.
Lastly, stress can be detrimental to your overall lifestyle by disrupting your sleep, weakening your immune system, and increasing the risk of mental illnesses like depression and anxiety, thus necessitating the tips below.
How to relieve stress and live healthier
Maintain work-life balance
Even when modern life gets busier and responsibilities pile up, setting boundaries between work and personal life is essential. Not only does it increase your job satisfaction and performance, but it also significantly reduces your stress levels. So, utilize your vacation time and days off to take your mind off work and focus on what matters most to you, whether it’s a hobby or quality time with family and friends. Even taking breaks throughout the day can effectively combat stress and prioritize your health and well-being.
Meditate
By now, the benefits of meditation for stress management and mental health are well-known. Since meditation can put you into a deep state of calmness and relaxation, it can help relieve the anxiety, worry, and tension that typically accompany stress. However, research also notes the clinical benefits of meditation for physical health, from lowering cholesterol levels to prevent diabetes and hypertension, to boosting the proteins critical to immune system function. Meditation is simple and inexpensive, taking many forms like prayer, yoga, and breathing exercises.
Explore the outdoors
Lastly, setting aside time for outdoor activities can do wonders for your stress and overall wellness. As discussed in a previous post, you can get your outdoor mental health boost through different ways, whether immersing yourself in museums and natural parks to learn history or escaping from the busy city to hike and explore forests and trails. Even walking in a botanical garden can manage stress by making you physically active and promoting the release of endorphins, which are brain chemicals that help you relax and enhance your mood.
Ultimately, you can’t overlook stress management if you want to live a physically and mentally satisfying life. Despite the crucial role of stress levels in health and quality of life, there are many ways you can manage and reduce your stress to avoid these adverse effects and chronic conditions. Explore The Flawless Foundation blog for more advice on improving your health and lifestyle.
