Stress Management
We are all way too stressed out and we need to do something about it now before it takes over your life. Stress can have disabling affects and it does not care who you are, where you come from, how much money you make or how “great” your life may seem to be on the outside. Stress, like most diseases, does not discriminate.
I was just Skyping with a friend and catching up after way too long. As easy as it is to keep in contact with people across the globe from you, for some reason time seems to fly by and I never talk to my far away friends as often as I would like. It turns out that over the last few months, her husband had been feeling so stressed out at work, that he was not at home on disability leave for stress. Stress!! I knew that stress had come up in the news and in my daily life more and more over the past few years, but I never imagined that my friends husband, who loved his job as a graphic designer, who had just bought his dream home, who loved his life and his work and his friends and coworkers, could end up at home unable to work, due to stress. And this guy lives in Denmark, a country notorious So if this can happen to someone who lives in the happiest country on earth, it really can happen to anyone, anywhere, anytime.
Put yourself first
It’s time to be a little more selfish, time to say no when you are being pulled in a million directions, time to spend a little more time doing things you love, time to step away from it all and just live in the moment, if only for 20 minutes. You will be glad you did and so will the people around you, because if you aren’t taking care of yourself, then how can you take care of others.
US Stress Statistics 2014
70% – percentage of people polled who regularly experience physical symptoms caused by stress
73% – percentage of people polled who regularly experience psychological symptoms caused by stress
33% – feel they are living with extreme stress
48% – feel their stress has increased over the past 5 years
76% – said money was the leading cause of their stress
48% – said they would lie awake at night due to stress
(Source: Statistic Brain)
Get your daily sun
The sun is the most powerful weapon we have against stress and preventing the onset of stress. And it’s free! Plants need it to survive, and so do we. The reason you feel great after some time outside in the sun is not just a coincidence. The sun warming your skin will help you relax, all the while the rays are stimulating your body’s natural serotonin levels leaving you feeling happy and refreshed. It also causes your sleep hormone levels to decrease. It’s the simplest solution, it’s the cheapest solution, and it’s right outside your door.
When you’re outside, walking to the store, work or to a neighbor’s house, take time to notice the trees, leaves, plants, animals along the way. I know it sounds really cliché, but life is short, if you don’t appreciate it today you may not get a chance tomorrow.
So, to sum up: get your daily sunshine and try to live in the moment, if only for 20 minutes a day. And cuddle your pets a little extra today.