The end of the year is near and exam week is just around the corner, which is why today we are gonna talk about stress– the thing that can turn you into a monster in a matter of literal seconds. That’s not an over exaggeration, stress is literally proven to shorten your lifespan and increase risk of disease, but don’t let that stress you out 😉 I am allllll about balancing the good and bad in life because life just isn’t life without both, but if there’s one thing I could go without completely, it’s stress. In order to understand how to deal with it, we should first figure out what it is actually doing to our bodies and our minds…
stress on the body
- increases headaches
- increases the production of stomach acid which can lead to heartburn
- muscles that help you breathe tighten
- increases risk of depression
- makes it difficult to sleep (insomnia)
- weakens immune system
- causes liver to excrete extra sugar into bloodstream increasing risk of Type 2 diabetes
- tightens blood vessels which raises blood pressure
- affects digestive system
- decreases your sex drive (libido)
- damages arteries which can lead to heart attack
Wow, okay that was a lot and those are just SOME of the physical tolls stress can take on your body. I don’t want you to have to read another long, depressing list so just know that stress kills brain cells and can even reduce the size of the brain! That’s actually so crazy to me how a killing machine is living inside of our conscious. But if it is inside our conscious…can’t we control it?
It may take some time and a lot of patience, but OF COURSE we can control anything going on in our minds once we learn how.
wanna reduce stress?
- Tip #1: Be extra healthy during super stressful times! Our bodies crave junk food to comfort us when our minds are being pulled in a million different directions, but eating cheeseburgers and frappuccinos actually increases overall stress. DRINK LOTS OF WATER (at least 8 8oz cups a day), EAT LOTS OF VEGGIES (& fruits but they are high in sugar so limit these), & CUT DOWN ON SUGAR since your body already is releasing too much sugar into the veins.
- Tip #2: Be aware of your stress. As soon as you feel those veins popping start thinking “hey I am stressed out, but stress is not gonna win this time”. Take a short break from whatever you are doing or thinking about that’s making you feel angry and upset. Tell your mind to tell your body that “we’re fine!! we got this no problem”. This is super hard to do but try it every time you feel yourself getting stressed out and eventually your body will be trained not to stress to that extent anymore!
- Tip #3: Stay organized and make lists/schedules! I think I would explode if I didn’t plan every day during the weeks I have a million things to do. If you feel stressed just sit down for 5 minutes and write down everything you have to do + when you have time to do it. Also write down things you’ve already done so you can cross them off and feel a little more accomplished. If you know you have to do something at a certain time, you are more likely to do it. Just remember to schedule in some time for yourself!
- Most importantly**** remember that no one is perfect and you can’t do EVERYTHING for EVERYONE! Do the best you can and live your best life. If you don’t succeed at something the first time, just try again! Don’t kill yourself over small things because life is just too short.
I know ya’ll can conquer this and just remember YOU ARE IN CONTROL!
spread smiles,
Rachel
