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<\/p>\nEffective Ways to Ease Your Stress by Christina DeBusk<\/p>\n
While it\u2019s only natural to experience some sort of stress in life, the problem with this particular emotion is that it can negatively affect your health, if it\u2019s allowed to accumulate over time.<\/p>\n
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Case in point: the American Psychological Association goes on to reveal that, along with higher stress levels, U.S. adults also have poorer levels of health than ever before. In fact, almost one in four label their health as either \u201cfair\u201d or \u201cpoor,\u201d a number that is up four percentage points from just three years prior.<\/p>\n
Certainly, there\u2019s no way to get rid of stress entirely. However, there are quite a few things you can do to help ease it before it starts to
\naffect your quality of life. …<\/p>\n
Practice Time Management\u2014 \u201cTime management is really the key to creating balance in life,\u201d says Amanda Mittan, Massage Therapy Program Director at Carrington College. If this is an area where you typically struggle, motivational speaker and self-development author Brian Tracy offers several tips to better manage your time. Among them are to take care of small tasks immediately when they arise, prioritizing your tasks so you always handle the most important ones first, and limiting your distractions so you can focus and get things done.<\/p>\n
Seek Variety\u2014 Another stress-relieving tip offered by Mittan is to change up your routine. Incorporate variety into your day and you likely won\u2019t feel so stressed out. One way to do this is to constantly learn new things.<\/p>\n
Spend Time in Nature\u2014 \u201cI am really lucky to live in San Diego, where I can enjoy the ocean and our beautiful canyons,\u201d says Kathleen Lisson, CMT. Lisson says walking every day helps her clear her head.<\/p>\n
Take Relaxing Breaths\u2014 Massage therapist Relinda Reynozo says breathing to preselected counts delivers a body-relaxing response. \u201cI inhale to a count of six, hold it for a count of three, and exhale to a count of seven,\u201d says Reynozo. \u201cI do this three times in a row just about every night before bed.\u201d Not only can relaxation breathing make you feel less stressed, but the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health shares that engaging in relaxation techniques such as this can also have positive effects by reducing your risk of symptoms associated with several physical conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and rheumatoid arthritis, just to name a few.<\/p>\n
Stay Physically Active\u2014 Rachel Beider, LMT, finds that staying physically active helps her reduce stress levels. \u201cI find it\u2019s important to engage in physical activities at least two to three days a week,\u201d says Beider, who finds solace in spin classes and weight training.<\/p>\n
The American Council on Exercise shares that exercise reduces stress in
\nfour different ways:<\/p>\n