Easy Ways to Stress Less

It seems to be that everyone you talk to lately is stressed or on overload lately. Our modern lifestyle means a fast paced life with many balls in the air to juggle.

From work, kids, house, family, friends there doesn’t seem to be a lot of time to take care of ourselves and that in turn can cause health issues.

Did you know that prolonged stress can take a huge toll on our bodies and puts you at increased risk of numerous health problems, including:

Anxiety, Depression, Digestive problems, Heart disease, Sleep problems, Weight gain and Memory and concentration impairment.

So, what is causing our stress?

According to an infographic by Compare the Market, the main stressor is financial stress. 45% of Australian’s are stressed because of financial concerns with 58% of Australian’s worrying about putting food on the table and paying for basic necessities with 48% worried about providing for their family and 37% worrying about paying their mortgage or rent.

Of course, there are easy ways to save money, you just need to take action on it.

Other reasons for stress are health (44%) and family issues (43%), trying to be healthier (39%) and health of loved ones (37%).

It’s so important to learn healthy ways to cope with the stressors in your life and it isn’t hard either.

Health issues can be overcome by seeing your doctor regularly, eating healthy and exercising regularly. Of course, chronic health issues aren’t so easy to deal with but they can be managed. I have hypothyroidism and my husband has type two diabetes, both are chronic diseases but both diseases are managed so as to not impact our family life.

Other ways to manage stress are:

Yoga– We have previously posted about the benefits of yoga (link to post) and the benefits it has on our health and wellbeing, particularly stress.

Meditation– Even five minutes of meditation a day can have a profound effect on our stress levels. Many people believe meditation is about being cross-legged and chanting but it can be as simple as lying on your bed and deep breathing or listening to calming sounds such as the ocean.

Get out and about– being outdoors can play make a huge difference to our wellbeing. Vitamin D from the sun has numerous health benefits. Being out in nature can have a calming effect on most people. I know for myself, being near the beach and listening to the waves lap is immensely calming.

Of course, there are the health benefits of being outside and the main benefit is obtaining our daily requirement of steps (the recommended amount of steps we should take per day is 10,000). We usually go to the beach, a market, local parks and gardens or the bush to have a wonder around on the weekends.

Stress can be effectively managed if we take action on it but if you find you can’t manage your stress by yourself, there is help out there. See your GP if it is affecting your health.

How do you manage stress?

#SP This post was a collaboration between Compare The Market and Woman of Style and Substance as per our Disclosure Policy.