Some common symptoms of stress include sleeping problems, sweating, or a change in appetite. Symptoms like these are triggered by a rush of stress hormones in your body which, when released, allow you to deal with pressures or threats.

Hormones called adrenaline and noradrenaline raise your blood pressure, increase your heart rate and increase the amount you sweat. This prepares your body for an emergency response. These hormones can also reduce blood flow to your skin and reduce your stomach activity.

Cortisol, another stress hormone, releases fat and sugar into your system to boost your energy. As a result, you may experience headaches, muscle tension, pain, nausea, indigestion and dizziness. You may also breathe more quickly, have palpitations or suffer from various aches and pains.

In the long term, you may be putting yourself at risk of heart attacks and strokes. Humans have inherited these things from our ancient ancestors, who needed to be able to either run away from danger or stay and fight. Once the pressure or threat has passed, your stress hormone levels usually return to normal.

Over time, the build-up of these chemicals and the changes they produce can be damaging to your health. When you are stressed you may have lots of different feelings, including anxiety, irritability or low self-esteem, which can lead you to become withdrawn, indecisive or tearful. You may have periods of constant worry, racing thoughts, or repeatedly going over the same things in your head.

Some people experience changes in their behaviour. They may lose their temper more easily, act irrationally or become more verbally or physically aggressive.

These feelings can feed on each other and produce physical symptoms, which can make you feel even worse. For example, extreme anxiety can make you feel so unwell that you then worry you have a serious physical condition.

Everyone experiences stress. While stress affects everyone differently, there are common signs and symptoms for you to look out for:.

If you experience these symptoms for a prolonged period of time, and feel they are affecting your everyday life or making you feel unwell, speak to your GP. Ask them for information about the support services and treatments available to you.

All sorts of situations can cause stress. The most common involve work, money matters and relationships with partners, children or other family members. Stress can be caused either by major upheavals and life events such as divorce, unemployment, moving house and bereavement, or by a series of minor irritations such as feeling undervalued at work or arguing with a family member.

Sometimes, there are no obvious causes. Relationships are a great support in times when we feel stressed. However, from time to time the people close to you, be it a partner, parent, child, friend or colleague, can increase your stress levels. Events such as ongoing minor arguments and disagreements, to larger family crises, such as an affair, illness or bereavement are likely to affect the way you think, feel and behave.

This may consequently have an impact on your stress levels. Find out more about investing in healthy relationships. The pressure of an increasingly demanding work culture in the UK is one of the biggest contributors to stress among the general population.

The human costs of unmanaged work-related stress is extensive. Feeling unhappy about the amount of time you spend at work and neglecting other aspects of life because of work may increase your vulnerability to stress.

Increased levels of stress can, if not addressed early enough, lead to burnout or more severe mental health problems. In , mental health accounted for , cases of work-related illness with a related estimated cost of £ Money and debt concerns place huge pressure on us, so it comes as no surprise that they have a marked effect on our stress levels.

The effects of the cost-of-living crisis in has affected everyone in some capacity. A survey of adults commissioned by the Mental Health Foundation in November found that one in ten UK adults was feeling hopeless about their financial circumstances.

More than one-third were feeling anxious and almost three in ten were feeling stressed. The combination of chronic stress and debt can result in depression and anxiety and has been highlighted as a factor linked to suicidal thoughts and attempts.

You could also talk to your GP or a trusted health professional if you are worried about how debt is affecting your mental and physical health. Some people smoke, drink alcohol and use recreational drugs to reduce stress.

But, this often makes problems worse. Research shows that smoking may increase feelings of anxiety. Nicotine creates an immediate, temporary, sense of relaxation, which can then lead to withdrawal symptoms and cravings.

Similarly, people may use alcohol as a means to manage and cope with difficult feelings, and to temporarily reduce feelings of anxiety.

But, alcohol can make existing mental health problems worse. It can make you feel more anxious and depressed in the long run. Prescription drugs , such as tranquillisers and sleeping tablets, which may have been prescribed for very good reasons, can also cause mental and physical health problems if used for long periods of time.

Street drugs , such as cannabis or ecstasy, are usually taken for recreational purposes. For some people, problems start as their bodies get used to repeated use of the drug.

This leads to the need for increased doses to maintain the same effect. Stress is a natural reaction to difficult situations in life, such as work, family, relationships and money problems.

We mentioned earlier on that a moderate amount of stress can help us perform better in challenging situations, but too much or prolonged stress can lead to physical problems. This can include lower immunity levels, digestive and intestinal difficulties such as irritable bowel syndrome IBS , or mental health problems such as depression.

The first person to approach is your GP. They should be able to give you advice about treatment, and may refer you to another local professional. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Mindfulness -based approaches are known to help reduce stress.

There are also a number of voluntary organisations which can help you to tackle the causes of stress and advise you about ways to get better.

Some teams provide hour services so that you can contact them in a crisis. You should be able to contact your local CMHT through your local social services or social work team. Everybody is different and what works for one person might not work for another.

Here are tips, find what works for you and give them a try. If you feel affected by the content you have read, please see our get help page for support. The Mental Health Foundation today welcomes publication of the Mental Health Strategy for Northern Ireland. Learn how tension affects your health and how to reduce everyday stress.

Types of Stress There are two types of stress: Emotional — types of emotional stress are relationship problems, pressure at work, financial worries, experiencing discrimination or having a major life change. Physical — Examples of physical stress include being sick having pain, not sleeping well, recovery from an injury or having an alcohol and drug use disorder.

Fight or Flight Sudden or ongoing stress activates your nervous system and floods your bloodstream with adrenaline and cortisol, two hormones that raise blood pressure, increase heart rate and spike blood sugar.

Effects of Too Much Stress If constantly under stress, most of us will eventually start to function less well. Regular, severe headaches. Unexplained weight loss or gain. Feelings of isolation, withdrawal or worthlessness. Constant anger and irritability. Loss of interest in activities. Constant worrying or obsessive thinking.

Excessive alcohol or drug use. Inability to concentrate. Use these tips to prevent or reduce chronic stress. Rebalance Work and Home All work and no play? Get Regular Exercise Moving your body on a regular basis balances the nervous system and increases blood circulation, helping to flush out stress hormones.

Eat Well and Limit Alcohol and Stimulants Alcohol, nicotine and caffeine may temporarily relieve stress but have negative health impacts and can make stress worse in the long run. Connect with Supportive People Talking face to face with another person releases hormones that reduce stress.

Carve Out Hobby Time Do you enjoy gardening, reading, listening to music or some other creative pursuit? Deep Breathing Slow, calm and deep breathing can help you relax. Find a comfortable position and close your eyes.

Exhale and drop your shoulders. Breathe in through your nose; fill your lungs and then your belly. Think of relaxing your body, quieting your mind and becoming calm and peaceful. Breathe out slowly through your nose, relaxing your belly.

Think of releasing tension, pain, worries or distress. Repeat steps three and four until you feel relaxed. Imagery This involves using your mind to excite the senses — sound, vision, smell, taste and feeling. Begin by getting comfortable and then do some slow breathing. Imagine a place you love being at.

It could be somewhere from your childhood, somewhere you vacationed or just a place in your imagination. Pay attention to the sounds, air, colors, and who is there with you.

This is a place where you feel cared for and loved. All is well. You are safe. Take in all the smells, sounds, tastes and feelings. As you do, feel your body being nourished and healed. Feel the calm that surrounds you.

Breathe in all the good. Breathe out any discomfort or tension. Bond with Connections You Enjoy Go out for a coffee with a friend, chat with a neighbor, call a family member, visit with a clergy member, or even hang out with your pet.

Take a Vacation Getting away from it all can reset your stress tolerance by increasing your mental and emotional outlook, which makes you a happier, more productive person upon return. Related Articles. Stress Eating: Learn How to Stop Back to Nature Derail Stress With Yoga Reduce Stress with Meditation Building Personal Boundaries 7 Holistic Tips to Age Gracefully.

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With practice, you can learn to shift negative thoughts to positive ones. For example:. To really make it work, practice positive self-talk every day — in the car, at your desk, before you go to bed or whenever you notice negative thoughts.

Emergency stress-stoppers are actions to help you defuse stress in the moment. You may need different stress-stoppers for different situations, and sometimes it helps to combine them. Doing things you enjoy is a natural way to relieve stress and find your happy place.

When stress makes you feel bad, do something that makes you feel good — even if only for 10 or 15 minutes.

The key is to find your groove and make it a practice. Written by American Heart Association editorial staff and reviewed by science and medicine advisors. See our editorial policies and staff.

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Stress Management. Home Healthy Living Healthy Lifestyle Stress Management 3 Tips to Manage Stress. Healthy for Good Topics Healthy Eating Healthy Lifestyle Fitness Company Collaboration or Search Condition. I can fix it. Top 10 Emergency Stress-Stoppers Emergency stress-stoppers are actions to help you defuse stress in the moment.

Here are some stress relievers: Count to 10 before you speak or react. Take a few slow, deep breaths until you feel your body un-clench a bit. It can give you a chance to think things through.

Try a quick meditation or prayer to get some perspective. This works especially well for stressful emails and social media trolls.

You might start focusing on only the bad and not the good in a situation. That's called negative thinking. It can make you feel afraid, insecure, depressed, or anxious.

It's also common to feel a lack of control or self-worth. Negative thinking can trigger your body's stress response , just as a real threat does. Dealing with these negative thoughts and the way you see things can help reduce stress. You can learn these techniques on your own, or you can get help from a counsellor.

Here are some ideas:. If you're ready to reduce stress in your life, setting a goal may help. Try following these three steps:.

Stress can be hard to deal with on your own. It's okay to seek help if you need it. Talk with your doctor about the stress you're feeling and how it affects you. A professional counsellor or other health professional can help you find ways to reduce stress symptoms.

He or she can also help you think about ways to reduce stress in your life. A counsellor or health professional is useful for:. You may need treatment for other emotional problems related to stress, such as anxiety , depression , or insomnia.

Treatment may include medicines or professional counselling. Author: Healthwise Staff Medical Review: Kathleen Romito MD - Family Medicine Donald Sproule MDCM, CCFP - Family Medicine Christine R. Maldonado PhD - Behavioral Health Adam Husney MD - Family Medicine Steven Locke MD - Psychiatry.

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Stress Management. Topic Contents Topic Overview Health Tools Causes of Stress Effects of Stress Measuring Stress Ways to Relieve Stress Ways to Avoid Stress Setting a Goal to Reduce Stress If You Need More Help Related Information Credits. Topic Overview What happens when you are stressed? What can you do about stress?

To get stress under control: Find out what is causing stress in your life. Look for ways to reduce the amount of stress in your life. Learn healthy ways to relieve stress and reduce its harmful effects. How do you measure your stress level? How can you avoid stress? You might try some of these ideas: Learn better ways to manage your time.

You may get more done with less stress if you make a schedule. Think about which things are most important, and do those first. Find better ways to cope. Look at how you have been dealing with stress. Be honest about what works and what does not. Think about other things that might work better.

Take good care of yourself. Get plenty of rest. Eat well. Don't smoke. Limit how much alcohol you drink. Try out new ways of thinking. When you find yourself starting to worry, try to stop the thoughts. Or write down your worries and work on letting go of things you cannot change.

Learn to say "no. Not being able to talk about your needs and concerns creates stress and can make negative feelings worse. Assertive communication can help you express how you feel in a thoughtful, tactful way.

Ask for help. People who have a strong network of family and friends manage stress better. How can you relieve stress? Try some of these ideas to see which ones work for you: Exercise.

Regular exercise is one of the best ways to manage stress. Walking is a great way to get started. It can help to write about the things that are bothering you. Let your feelings out. Talk, laugh, cry, and express anger when you need to with someone you trust.

Do something you enjoy. A hobby can help you relax. Volunteer work or work that helps others can be a great stress reliever. Learn ways to relax your body. This can include breathing exercises, muscle relaxation exercises, massage, aromatherapy, yoga, or relaxing exercises like tai chi and qi gong.

Focus on the present. Try meditation and imagery exercises. Listen to relaxing music. Try to look for the humour in life. Laughter really can be the best medicine.

Health Tools Health Tools help you make wise health decisions or take action to improve your health. Actionsets are designed to help people take an active role in managing a health condition. Insomnia: Improving Your Sleep Managing Job Stress Stop Negative Thoughts: Getting Started Stress Management: Breathing Exercises for Relaxation Stress Management: Doing Guided Imagery to Relax Stress Management: Doing Meditation Stress Management: Doing Progressive Muscle Relaxation Stress Management: Managing Your Time Stress Management: Practicing Yoga to Relax Stress Management: Relaxing Your Mind and Body.

Interactive tools are designed to help people determine health risks, ideal weight, target heart rate, and more. Interactive Tool: How Well Do You Bounce Back? Causes of Stress A lot of things can cause stress. Personal problems that can cause stress Your health , especially if you have a chronic illness such as heart disease, diabetes, or arthritis Emotional problems , such as anger you can't express, depression, grief, guilt, or low self-esteem Your relationships , such as having problems with your relationships or feeling a lack of friendships or support in your life Major life changes , such as dealing with the death of a parent or spouse, losing your job, getting married, or moving to a new city Stress in your family , such as having a child, teenager , or other family member who is under stress, or being a caregiver to a family member who is elderly or who has health problems Conflicts with your beliefs and values.

For example, you may value family life, but you may not be able to spend as much time with your family as you want. Social and job issues that can cause stress Your surroundings. Living in an area where overcrowding, crime, pollution, or noise is a problem can create chronic stress. Your social situation.

Not having enough money to cover your expenses, feeling lonely, or facing discrimination based on your race, gender, age, or sexual orientation can add stress to your life.

Your job. Being unhappy with your work or finding your job too demanding can lead to chronic stress. Learn how to manage job stress. Losing your job or not being able to find work can also add to your stress level.

Post-traumatic stress You may need help dealing with stress if you have faced a life-threatening or traumatic event such as sexual assault rape , a natural disaster, or war. Effects of Stress Stress causes changes in your body.

How stress affects the body Common symptoms of stress include: A fast heartbeat. A headache. Back pain. Fast breathing. Sweating, and sweaty palms. An upset stomach, nausea, or diarrhea. Over time, stress can affect your: Immune system. Constant stress can make you more likely to get sick more often.

And if you have a chronic illness such as AIDS, stress can make your symptoms worse. Stress is linked to high blood pressure, abnormal heartbeat arrhythmia , blood clots, and hardening of the arteries atherosclerosis.

It's also linked to coronary artery disease, heart attack, and heart failure. Constant tension from stress can lead to neck, shoulder, and low back pain.

Stress may make rheumatoid arthritis worse. If you have stomach problems, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease GERD or irritable bowel syndrome, stress can make your symptoms worse. Reproductive organs. Stress is linked to low fertility, erection problems, problems during pregnancy, and painful menstrual periods.

Stress can make symptoms of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD worse. Skin problems such as acne and psoriasis are made worse by stress. How stress affects your thoughts and emotions You might notice signs of stress in the way you think, act, and feel.

You may: Feel cranky and unable to deal with even small problems. Feel frustrated, lose your temper more often, and yell at others for no reason. Feel jumpy or tired all the time. Find it hard to focus on tasks. Worry too much about small things.

Feel that you are missing out on things because you can't act quickly. Imagine that bad things are happening or about to happen.

How stress affects you depends on many things, such as: Your personality. What you have learned from your family about responding to stress. How you think about and handle stress. Your coping strategies. Your social support. The type of stress matters Stress can affect you both instantly acute stress and over time chronic stress.

Measuring Stress Feeling stress is a fact of life for most people. Ask yourself these questions to find out what is causing your stress: What job, family, or personal stress do you have? Stress can be caused by an ongoing personal situation such as: Problems in your family or with a relationship.

Caring for a family member who is elderly, has chronic health problems, or is disabled. Caregiving is a major source of stress. For more information, see the topic Quick Tips: Reducing the Stress of Caregiving. Use this coping strategies form to help you find out how you cope with stress.

Try this Interactive Tool: How Well Do You Bounce Back? It measures your ability to deal with life's challenges. Ways to Relieve Stress The best way to manage your stress is to learn healthy coping strategies. Ways to relax your mind Write. It may help to write about things that are bothering you.

Write for 10 to 15 minutes a day about stressful events and how they made you feel. Or think about tracking your stress. This helps you find out what is causing your stress and how much stress you feel.

After you know, you can find better ways to cope. Talk, laugh, cry, and express anger when you need to. Talking with friends, family, a counsellor, or a member of the clergy about your feelings is a healthy way to relieve stress. You may feel that you're too busy to do these things.

But making time to do something you enjoy can help you relax. It might also help you get more done in other areas of your life. Try: A hobby, such as gardening. A creative activity, such as writing, crafts, or art. Playing with and caring for pets. Volunteer work. Meditation and guided imagery are two ways to focus and relax your mind.

When you meditate, you focus your attention on things that are happening right now. Paying attention to your breathing is one way to focus. Mindfulness-based stress reduction is one form of meditation that is very helpful with managing stress and learning how to better cope with it.

Stress Management: Doing Meditation. Stress Management: Doing Guided Imagery to Relax. Stress Management: Breathing Exercises for Relaxation.

Stress Management: Doing Progressive Muscle Relaxation. Stress Management: Practicing Yoga to Relax. Stress Management: Relaxing Your Mind and Body.

Ways to Avoid Stress Stress is a part of life, and you can't always avoid it.

You can't prevent or change stressors such as the death of a loved one, a serious illness, or a national recession. In such cases, the best way to cope with stress is to accept things as they are.

Acceptance may be difficult, but in the long run, it's easier than railing against a situation you can't change. Don't try to control the uncontrollable. Many things in life are beyond our control, particularly the behavior of other people.

Rather than stressing out over them, focus on the things you can control such as the way you choose to react to problems. Look for the upside.

When facing major challenges, try to look at them as opportunities for personal growth. If your own poor choices contributed to a stressful situation, reflect on them and learn from your mistakes.

Learn to forgive. Accept the fact that we live in an imperfect world and that people make mistakes. Let go of anger and resentments. Free yourself from negative energy by forgiving and moving on. Share your feelings. Expressing what you're going through can be very cathartic, even if there's nothing you can do to alter the stressful situation.

Talk to a trusted friend or make an appointment with a therapist. When you're stressed, the last thing you probably feel like doing is getting up and exercising. But physical activity is a huge stress reliever—and you don't have to be an athlete or spend hours in a gym to experience the benefits.

Exercise releases endorphins that make you feel good, and it can also serve as a valuable distraction from your daily worries. While you'll get the most benefit from regularly exercising for 30 minutes or more, it's okay to build up your fitness level gradually. Even very small activities can add up over the course of a day.

The first step is to get yourself up and moving. Here are some easy ways to incorporate exercise into your daily schedule:. While just about any form of physical activity can help burn away tension and stress, rhythmic activities are especially effective.

Good choices include walking, running, swimming, dancing, cycling, tai chi, and aerobics. But whatever you choose, make sure it's something you enjoy so you're more likely to stick with it.

While you're exercising, make a conscious effort to pay attention to your body and the physical and sometimes emotional sensations you experience as you're moving. Focus on coordinating your breathing with your movements, for example, or notice how the air or sunlight feels on your skin.

Adding this mindfulness element will help you break out of the cycle of negative thoughts that often accompanies overwhelming stress.

There is nothing more calming than spending quality time with another human being who makes you feel safe and understood. It's nature's natural stress reliever as an added bonus, it also helps stave off depression and anxiety. So make it a point to connect regularly—and in person—with family and friends.

Keep in mind that the people you talk to don't have to be able to fix your stress. They simply need to be good listeners. And try not to let worries about looking weak or being a burden keep you from opening up. The people who care about you will be flattered by your trust.

It will only strengthen your bond. Of course, it's not always realistic to have a pal close by to lean on when you feel overwhelmed by stress, but by building and maintaining a network of close friends you can improve your resiliency to life's stressors. Don't get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that you forget to take care of your own needs.

Nurturing yourself is a necessity, not a luxury. If you regularly make time for fun and relaxation, you'll be in a better place to handle life's stressors. Set aside leisure time. Include rest and relaxation in your daily schedule.

This is your time to take a break from all responsibilities and recharge your batteries. Do something you enjoy every day. Make time for leisure activities that bring you joy, whether it be stargazing, playing the piano, or working on your bike.

Keep your sense of humor. This includes the ability to laugh at yourself. The act of laughing helps your body fight stress in a number of ways. Take up a relaxation practice. Relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation, and deep breathing activate the body's relaxation response , a state of restfulness that is the opposite of the fight or flight or mobilization stress response.

As you learn and practice these techniques, your stress levels will decrease and your mind and body will become calm and centered.

Poor time management can cause a lot of stress. When you're stretched too thin and running behind, it's hard to stay calm and focused.

Plus, you'll be tempted to avoid or cut back on all the healthy things you should be doing to keep stress in check, like socializing and getting enough sleep. The good news: there are things you can do to achieve a healthier work-life balance.

Don't over-commit yourself. Avoid scheduling things back-to-back or trying to fit too much into one day. All too often, we underestimate how long things will take.

Prioritize tasks. Make a list of tasks you have to do, and tackle them in order of importance. Do the high-priority items first. If you have something particularly unpleasant or stressful to do, get it over with early. The rest of your day will be more pleasant as a result. Break projects into small steps.

If a large project seems overwhelming, make a step-by-step plan. Focus on one manageable step at a time, rather than taking on everything at once. Delegate responsibility. You don't have to do it all yourself, whether at home, school, or on the job. If other people can take care of the task, why not let them?

Let go of the desire to control or oversee every little step. You'll be letting go of unnecessary stress in the process.

In addition to regular exercise, there are other healthy lifestyle choices that can increase your resistance to stress.

Eat a healthy diet. Well-nourished bodies are better prepared to cope with stress, so be mindful of what you eat. Eat right. Laugh it off. Drink tea. Be mindful. Online meditation options Read our review of the best online meditation options to find the right fit for you.

Was this helpful? Exercise even for a minute. Sleep better. Breathe easy. Learn more about stress relief. How we reviewed this article: Sources. Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations.

We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. Jul 3, Written By Nathan Reese. Jul 1, Medically Reviewed By Timothy J. Legg, PhD, PsyD. Share this article. Read this next. By Jillian Kubala, MS, RD and Kerri-Ann Jennings, MS, RD.

Can Stress Cause a Positive ANA Test Result? Medically reviewed by Nancy Carteron, M. What is a Diurnal Cortisol Test? Medically reviewed by Mia Armstrong, MD. Medically reviewed by Francis Kuehnle, MSN, RN-BC. Can Stress Mess Up Your Period? Medically reviewed by Valinda Riggins Nwadike, MD, MPH.

What Are Common Symptoms of Stress in Women? Home Healthy Living Healthy Lifestyle Stress Management 3 Tips to Manage Stress. Healthy for Good Topics Healthy Eating Healthy Lifestyle Fitness Company Collaboration or Search Condition. I can fix it. Top 10 Emergency Stress-Stoppers Emergency stress-stoppers are actions to help you defuse stress in the moment.

Here are some stress relievers: Count to 10 before you speak or react. Take a few slow, deep breaths until you feel your body un-clench a bit. It can give you a chance to think things through. Try a quick meditation or prayer to get some perspective.

This works especially well for stressful emails and social media trolls. Walk away from the situation for a while, and handle it later once things have calmed down. Break down big problems into smaller parts. Take one step at a time. Turn on some chill music or an inspirational podcast to help you deal with road rage.

Take a break to pet the dog , hug a loved one or do something to help someone else. Work out or do something active. Exercise is a great antidote for stress. Stress-Busting Activities Doing things you enjoy is a natural way to relieve stress and find your happy place.

Some of these stress-relieving activities may work for you: Play with your kids or pets — outdoors, if possible.

You might find it helpful to learn some breathing exercises from an experienced teacher. Keep these exercises on hand and use them whenever you feel stressed. Research suggests that certain scents — such as those found in essential oils — can decrease the levels of stress hormones in our bodies.

Whether you prefer a scented candle, a diffuser, or fresh flowers, try using scent to calm you when you feel stressed. Hugging is a surprisingly effective way to combat stress. It also reduces blood pressure and the stress hormone norepinephrine.

This hormone activates the relaxation response, helping to quickly calm you. Prevention is better than the cure, and stress is no exception. Use these preventive strategies to reduce long-term stress.

Physical activity is a powerful short-term stress reliever. It releases endorphins, the feel-good hormones that give us natural stress relief. But in the long-term, exercise also helps combat the physical effects of stress.

Exercise keeps your heart healthy and improves your overall levels of wellness. Eating a poor diet can aggravate your stress response. Stress can cause us to reach for highly addictive, highly processed foods loaded with salt, sugar, and fats.

But these foods cause your blood sugar to spike. This releases more cortisol, the stress hormone, making you feel more anxious and stressed. Eating a balanced diet has a variety of health benefits , including mitigating the effects of stress.

Mindfulness practices such as meditation are proven to be effective stress management techniques. Practicing gratitude is another effective technique for managing stress long-term. It helps you transform negative thoughts into positive ones.

These techniques activate the parasympathetic nervous system. This is the part of your nervous system responsible for the relaxation response. When trying to manage stress, you may take some wrong turns. Here are four things you should avoid doing when trying to manage stress:.

Manage your environment by avoiding people and situations that cause you to stress as best that you can. Time management is an essential skill for dealing with stress. Time blocking can help you meet deadlines more efficiently and show up for meetings on time.

Make sure you allow for unforeseen roadblocks. When dealing with stress, make time for a daily self-care routine that supports your physical and mental fitness. Additionally, you may need more time to yourself.

In that case, try establishing healthy boundaries to maintain a work-life balance. A big part of successfully dealing with stressors is believing that you can overcome them. This positive mindset shift is essential for lowering your stress levels.

If you feel overwhelmed, try to reframe the issue. A mantra such as this can help boost your self-esteem as you overcome your stressors and build confidence in your strength.

Stress affects different people in different ways. Consider speaking to a health professional if you notice:. Stress management techniques can help you improve every area of your life — from your health to your work to your relationships.

Over time, daily acts of self-care can lead to reduced stress, improved sleep, and better overall health and well-being.

So try some of these stress-management techniques to find balance and reduce stress in your day-to-day. Just announced! Explore the agenda for Uplift April 10—11 in SF. EN - US English US Deutsch English GB Français. Integrations Explore how BetterUp connects to your core business systems.

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Blog Well-being. By Maggie Wooll. February 1, - 19 min read. Share this article. Understand Yourself Better: Big 5 Personality Test Learn how to leverage your natural strengths to determine your next steps and meet your goals faster.

Take quiz. Each time you feel stressed, make a note of it in your journal or use a stress tracker on your phone. Keeping a daily log will enable you to see patterns and common themes. Write down:.

Many of us feel so stressed out, we resort to unhealthy and unproductive ways to cope. A lot of these unhelpful strategies can temporarily reduce stress, but in the long run, they actually cause even more damage:.

While stress is an automatic response from your nervous system, some stressors arise at predictable times: your commute to work, a meeting with your boss, or family gatherings, for example. When handling such predictable stressors, you can either change the situation or change your reaction.

When deciding which option to choose in any given scenario, it's helpful to think of the four A's: avoid , alter , adapt , or accept.

It's not healthy to avoid a stressful situation that needs to be addressed, but you may be surprised by the number of stressors in your life that you can eliminate. Whether in your personal or professional life, taking on more than you can handle is a surefire recipe for stress.

Avoid people who stress you out. If someone consistently causes stress in your life, limit the amount of time you spend with that person, or end the relationship. Take control of your environment.

If the evening news makes you anxious, turn off the TV. If traffic makes you tense, take a longer but less-traveled route. If going to the market is an unpleasant chore, do your grocery shopping online. Avoid hot-button topics. If you get upset over religion or politics, cross them off your conversation list.

Pare down your to-do list. Analyze your schedule, responsibilities, and daily tasks. If you can't avoid a stressful situation, try to alter it.

Often, this involves changing the way you communicate and operate in your daily life. Express your feelings instead of bottling them up. If something or someone is bothering you, communicate your concerns in an open and respectful way. If you don't voice your feelings, resentment will build and the stress will increase.

Be willing to compromise. When you ask someone to change their behavior, be willing to do the same. If you both are willing to bend at least a little, you'll have a good chance of finding a happy middle ground.

Be more assertive. Deal with problems head on, doing your best to anticipate and prevent them. Find balance. All work and no play is a recipe for burnout.

Try to find a balance between work and family life, social activities and solitary pursuits, daily responsibilities and downtime. If you can't change the stressor, change yourself. You can adapt to stressful situations and regain your sense of control by changing your expectations and attitude.

Reframe problems. Try to view stressful situations from a more positive perspective. Rather than fuming about a traffic jam, look at it as an opportunity to pause and regroup, listen to your favorite radio station, or enjoy some alone time. Look at the big picture.

Take perspective of the stressful situation. Ask yourself how important it will be in the long run. Will it matter in a month? A year? Is it really worth getting upset over? If the answer is no, focus your time and energy elsewhere.

Adjust your standards. Perfectionism is a major source of avoidable stress. Stop setting yourself up for failure by demanding perfection. Practice gratitude. When stress is getting you down, take a moment to reflect on all the things you appreciate in your life , including your own positive qualities and gifts.

This simple strategy can help you keep things in perspective. Some sources of stress are unavoidable. You can't prevent or change stressors such as the death of a loved one, a serious illness, or a national recession.

In such cases, the best way to cope with stress is to accept things as they are. Acceptance may be difficult, but in the long run, it's easier than railing against a situation you can't change.

Don't try to control the uncontrollable. Many things in life are beyond our control, particularly the behavior of other people. Rather than stressing out over them, focus on the things you can control such as the way you choose to react to problems.

Look for the upside. When facing major challenges, try to look at them as opportunities for personal growth. If your own poor choices contributed to a stressful situation, reflect on them and learn from your mistakes.

Learn to forgive. Accept the fact that we live in an imperfect world and that people make mistakes. Let go of anger and resentments. Free yourself from negative energy by forgiving and moving on.

Share your feelings. Expressing what you're going through can be very cathartic, even if there's nothing you can do to alter the stressful situation. Talk to a trusted friend or make an appointment with a therapist.

When you're stressed, the last thing you probably feel like doing is getting up and exercising. But physical activity is a huge stress reliever—and you don't have to be an athlete or spend hours in a gym to experience the benefits. Exercise releases endorphins that make you feel good, and it can also serve as a valuable distraction from your daily worries.

While you'll get the most benefit from regularly exercising for 30 minutes or more, it's okay to build up your fitness level gradually. Even very small activities can add up over the course of a day.

The first step is to get yourself up and moving. Here are some easy ways to incorporate exercise into your daily schedule:. While just about any form of physical activity can help burn away tension and stress, rhythmic activities are especially effective.

Good choices include walking, running, swimming, dancing, cycling, tai chi, and aerobics. But whatever you choose, make sure it's something you enjoy so you're more likely to stick with it.

While you're exercising, make a conscious effort to pay attention to your body and the physical and sometimes emotional sensations you experience as you're moving. Focus on coordinating your breathing with your movements, for example, or notice how the air or sunlight feels on your skin.

Adding this mindfulness element will help you break out of the cycle of negative thoughts that often accompanies overwhelming stress. There is nothing more calming than spending quality time with another human being who makes you feel safe and understood. It's nature's natural stress reliever as an added bonus, it also helps stave off depression and anxiety.

So make it a point to connect regularly—and in person—with family and friends. Keep in mind that the people you talk to don't have to be able to fix your stress. They simply need to be good listeners.

And try not to let worries about looking weak or being a burden keep you from opening up. The people who care about you will be flattered by your trust.

It will only strengthen your bond. Of course, it's not always realistic to have a pal close by to lean on when you feel overwhelmed by stress, but by building and maintaining a network of close friends you can improve your resiliency to life's stressors.

Don't get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that you forget to take care of your own needs. Nurturing yourself is a necessity, not a luxury. If you regularly make time for fun and relaxation, you'll be in a better place to handle life's stressors. Set aside leisure time.

Include rest and relaxation in your daily schedule. This is your time to take a break from all responsibilities and recharge your batteries. Do something you enjoy every day.

Make time for leisure activities that bring you joy, whether it be stargazing, playing the piano, or working on your bike. Keep your sense of humor. This includes the ability to laugh at yourself. The act of laughing helps your body fight stress in a number of ways. Take up a relaxation practice.

Relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation, and deep breathing activate the body's relaxation response , a state of restfulness that is the opposite of the fight or flight or mobilization stress response.

As you learn and practice these techniques, your stress levels will decrease and your mind and body will become calm and centered. Poor time management can cause a lot of stress. When you're stretched too thin and running behind, it's hard to stay calm and focused.

Plus, you'll be tempted to avoid or cut back on all the healthy things you should be doing to keep stress in check, like socializing and getting enough sleep.

The good news: there are things you can do to achieve a healthier work-life balance. Don't over-commit yourself. Avoid scheduling things back-to-back or trying to fit too much into one day. All too often, we underestimate how long things will take. Prioritize tasks.