9 Effective Strategies to Combat Stress and Anxiety for a Healthier Life

Stress and anxiety are unhealthy products of pressure and changes in different parts of our lives.  Stress can last for a short time and can also stay for a long when not addressed. Chronic stress causes serious effects on the brain and the body. This can lead to other complications like anxiety. It reduces body function, general productivity, and sociability. Knowing how to cope with stress and how to relieve it, would help prevent mental and physical breakdowns.

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How can one reduce stress?

For every slight sign of stress, the body produces cortisol and adrenaline to adapt. Adrenaline simply increases your heart rate and increases the supply of energy at that time. Cortisol increases the amount of glucose level in your blood and increases the usage of blood by the brain. At the same time, cortisol disrupts the immune system and reduces metabolism in the digestive system, reproductive system, and growth process to the barest minimum. However, when the stress becomes intense and long-term, the body produces extremely high levels of cortisol. At this point, cortisol reduces brain functionality; it kills brain cells and causes the shrinking of the prefrontal cortex (this part of the brain is used for learning and memorizing).

Stress and anxiety can be relieved long-term by a healthy lifestyle. Immediate stress can also be relieved by activities that do not encourage the release of cortisol and adrenaline. Below are nine ways that you can relieve stress and anxiety. Some are long-term for a healthy lifestyle, and others are immediate like using cannabidiol products. These ways are:

1.)  Practice a breathing technique

Breathing is a very important process for body functioning and living. However, following a breathing pattern relieves stress by inducing a pattern of blood flow and oxygen supply to the brain, and various means. Some breathing techniques include:

• Belly breathing: breathe from your belly instead of your chest and breathe out through your mouth. The time for breathing in and out should be equal.
• Box breathing: breathing equally at all stages. Pick an amount of time, like 4 seconds: breathe in (for four seconds), hold that breath (for four seconds), breathe out from your mouth (for four seconds), and hold your breath for another four seconds.
• 4-7-8 breathing: Breathe in for four seconds, hold that breath for seven seconds; breathe out through your mouth for eight seconds.
• Deep breathing: taking deep breaths from your chest and breathing out deeply, for equal amounts of time.

There are many other breathing techniques for relieving stress and anxiety.

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2.) Exercise regularly

This does not necessarily imply heavy weight lifting or intense gym exercise. They might be included, but in times of stress, a little walk to the park or around your office, a swim, riding a bike, and even dancing can be good exercises. Exercise makes you feel good about your body and lightens your mind.

Exercises release endorphins and endocannabinoids by improving blood movement. These hormones improve sleep and help block pain, they are also responsible for a euphoric feeling. Exercise on a daily basis keeps the body in a healthy condition that is resistant to stress and anxiety.

3.) Cannabidiol Products(CBD)

Cannabidiol is obtained from Cannabis sativa (the hemp plant). Cannabidiol introduces a euphoric feeling which is a helpful relief for stress. This is the same effect given by endocannabinoids, a hormone released in the body when you exercise.

In taking CBD products, a trusted product line is a major factor. Some trusted lines, like Gold Bee which has an all-American award-winning product lineup, have trusted products. Their products are well-tested, safe, and psychoactive, and come in different forms.

Beyond, CBD, other helpful supplements include the Ayurvedic herb, ashwagandha. It is known to be a potent product against stress and depression.

Read Also: The Latest Scientific Facts on CBDA and CBD and Their Impacts on the Body

4.) Sleeping

When stressed, sleep is always the best remedy. When you sleep, the body takes a break and comes back to its normal healthy state for better function later. Meanwhile, sleeplessness or insomnia is a major side effect of stress.

This can be battled with healthy living habits like exercise, and staying away from caffeine, alcohol, and drugs during stress. Turn off the television and music. Then, go ahead to make the room a bit dark. You can go as far as getting a soft and conducive mattress. If you’re still not feeling sleepy, just lie down for the right number of hours doing and thinking of nothing.

5)  Meditation and other mindful activities

Mindful activities like yoga, tai chi, and meditation, are premium stress relievers. They are both long-term and short-term relief methods.

Meditation can be on a sound, or your breath, or with a mantra. Meditation helps you to be very aware of yourself and also reduces mental stress, anxiety, and body pains.

Yoga on the other hand is also a stress reliever and an energy booster. You can participate in slow-movement yoga, stretching, or deep-breathing yoga. These types of yoga are specifically for stress and anxiety.

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6.) Eat properly

Eating good food daily pays off in our body’s response to stress and anxiety. Good food boosts your immune system. It also helps reduce your blood pressure for the proper functioning of the body.

Eating junk, sugars, and fats during stress will cause more harm to your body. Instead eat lean proteins from fish and meat, fatty acids, food with antioxidants, and complex carbohydrates.

7.)  Talk to someone

As stress is more mental than physical, talking to someone who will understand you is an essential relieving factor. This person can be a close friend, family member, or even your therapist.

Although talking to someone is a factor, talking to yourself is also necessary. Talk to yourself to find the cause of the problem, find a temporary solution, and encourage yourself through it.

8.) Laughter

Based on research, laughter releases a hormone, endorphin, that lightens the mood. This hormone also reduces the lifespan of cortisol and adrenaline which are stress hormones.

Next time you get stressed, reach for your phone and watch some skits or movies. You can also reach out to someone who can make you laugh for a few minutes. It hits differently when it is someone are close to.

Read Also: Mineralocorticoid Receptors Play an Important Role in Stress Regulation

9.) Rescheduling

Reschedule yourself and give a lower amount of time to the causes of the stress. This means that the first step is finding the root cause of your stress.

When found, adjust your timetable to fit your health needs. If you can not change the allocated time, involve many short break times for yourself. During these 5-10 minute breaks, you can talk to people, walk around the office, drink enough water, and continue your work.

Conclusion

Although stress is normal, a lot of people experience extreme stress on a daily basis. This is not healthy, therefore intentional efforts should be made to remain healthy for the sake of productivity.

References

Blessing, E. M., Steenkamp, M. M., Manzanares, J., & Marmar, C. R. (2015). Cannabidiol as a Potential Treatment for Anxiety Disorders. Neurotherapeutics, 12(4), 825–836. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13311-015-0387-1

National Institute of Mental Health. (n.d.). I’m So Stressed Out! Fact Sheet. Retrieved August 1, 2023, from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/so-stressed-out-fact-sheet