Why Reducing Stress is Key to Your Overall Health (and How to Do It)

 

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Stress is an everyday part of life, but when stress becomes debilitating and overwhelming, this is when it takes a toll on our physical and mental well-being. Stress can impact our health in so many different ways, so let's show you what reducing stress will do for you, but also how you can incorporate stress management into your life more effectively.

Even something as minor as volunteering can help you with this, as Anthony Orlich would attest. It’s worth looking at how stress management benefits you.

Improves Your Immune System

There is a hormone called cortisol, and when we have too much of this, it will negatively impact our immune system. When your immune system is weaker, you are more susceptible to infections, and over time, this chronic stress can compromise your overall immune system response. 

What we have to remember at this point is that an elevated level of cortisol will impact our immune system, and we have to take control over our individual responses to stress. Some people can easily cope with little doses of stress, but others cannot, and this is why the latter would benefit from having wellness routines as a regular part of their existence. 

Some people benefit from something like meditation or mindfulness, but others require a combination of approaches. Aromatherapy is an excellent tool that can form a part of relaxation techniques and you can find many fragrance oils and essential oils of premium quality to help stimulate that relaxation response.

Improved Heart Health

Stress will elevate our blood pressure, and higher blood pressure increases the risk of strokes and heart attacks. So, we should focus on reducing stress where we can to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system. This is why cardiovascular exercise is a very beneficial prescription, but there's also something to be said for utilizing a tactic called isometrics to reduce your blood pressure. 

Isometrics is the type of exercise where you tense a certain muscle, for example, your bicep if you were going to do a bicep curl. There have been studies that confirm that people who engage in total body isometrics have reduced their systolic blood pressure numbers and have come off blood pressure medication as a result. Because this total body tension also links in with something known as progressive muscle relaxation, this also explains why it's so effective at calming us down and reducing stress. We should all think about incorporating some form of exercise into our lives anyway, and so you can use this guide to get you started in isometrics, but also make the most of so many resources on YouTube to take advantage of progressive muscle relaxation and how it will help you.

A Reduced Risk of Chronic Diseases

Chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease can arise from the constant release of stress hormones. Stress hormones can result in inflammation, which in turn will contribute to the development of the aforementioned conditions. A collection of deep breathing exercises can activate the body's relaxation response. 

There are a variety of deep breathing exercises you can utilize to take control over your autonomic nervous system, which can help you to calm down. Our bodies have an inbuilt force to combat stress and anxiety known as the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the rest and digest part of our body, as opposed to the fight or flight component, which contributes to anxiety and stress. You can turn off stress by soothing the vagus nerve. This video by Therapy in a Nutshell will explain it in greater detail.

Improves Cognitive Function

Stress, whether it's through a lack of sleep or external stressors in life, can negatively affect your ability to function. If you've ever felt like you're not able to concentrate because of an abundance of distractions, learning to reduce stress can enhance your cognitive performance and your clarity. There are many ways to help you focus, specifically practicing mindfulness meditation. 

Regular mindfulness practices such as a body scan meditation or learning to utilize your five senses can help you to stay rooted in the present moment without judgment. Part of the reason we can't concentrate due to high anxiety is that we are having a number of conflicting thoughts while also looking forwards and backwards in our minds. Those who have an innate sense of calmness when everything is chaotic around them and understand how to stay in the present moment, and this is where mindfulness meditation is an absolutely fantastic tool.

If you think it's now time to take charge of your health, reducing stress is undoubtedly the key to your overall health. By incorporating some of the above techniques, while also understanding what reducing stress will do for your health, you can live a longer life without feeling like you need to rely on medication. You've got it all right there in you, you just need to harness it.

What are some ways that you find helpful to reduce stress? Let me know below, in the comment section.

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