Tips to Help You Manage Stress Better

While we all have experienced varying levels of stress and anxiety throughout our lives, experts have some advice on how we can better navigate through those times.  They also are quick to remind us that some stress in our lives can be a good thing as it motivates us to do things like meet deadlines and accomplish things.  

However stress becomes a problem when there is too much of it or low levels of stress that continue for long periods without a break says Dr. Michael Brodsky, medical director for behavioral health for L.A. Care Health Plan, the largest publicly-operated health plan in the U.S.  He explains that, “Low levels of stress release the same types of stress hormones that are produced by the fight-or-flight response,” and that “chronic exposure to such reactions are related to a number of health problems.”  These include conditions such as obesity, heart disease, anxiety and depression, Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, diabetes, hypertension, headaches and others.  

Dr. Brodsky and other experts offers a number of healthy habits to help us manage stress more effectively starting with creating a routine around your personal habits including sleep.  Adults should strive for 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night and stick to a scheduled bedtime. 

Another way to decrease your level of stress is to reduce your daily consumption of digital media.  Scientists have found that the blue light emitting from our personal devices can disrupt our ability to release enough melatonin, a hormone that helps to regulate our sleep/wake cycles and keep us from getting a good night’s sleep.   

Experts say it can help to create a plan to deal with the things you want to accomplish each day starting with writing down daily goals and priorities so they feel more manageable.   Exercise, yoga or breathing exercises and mindful mediation can also be helpful.  Doctors recommend seeking support from family and friends, or if you need, medical experts.  

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Source: 

health.usnews.com/wellness/articles/tips-for-relieving-daily-stress-and-calming-down