On the Today Show they discussed the damaging effects stress can have on your body. Stress is your body’s reaction when it feels threatened in some way, manner or form. When you’re stressed, your body releases two chemicals, adrenaline and cortisol. Adrenaline, which causes the “fight or flight” response, makes your blood pressure and heart rate go up. It gets your blood flowing and actually causes you to be more alert and primed for action. The second is the release of cortisol which causes your blood sugar to spike which gives you an energy boost, which can be a good thing.
While these two chemicals can be effective in the short term because they increase our productivity, over time they can be harmful.
According to one study, stress costs businesses in the US over $300 billion a year. Stress is real and it’s usually negative. 75-90% of all doctor visits are due to stress related issues. So what can you do to handle stress better?
1) Take Care of Yourself
While this may seem cliche, it’s true. Make yourself a priority, even if it means scheduling work out time, alone time or therapy. Be selfish if need be. Think of the “oxygen mask” speech on an airplane. They tell you to secure your mask first before helping others. The same is true in life in general. You’ve got to take care of yourself first or you won’t be any good to anyone else. Taking care of yourself means eating healthy, getting enough sleep, exercising and being conscious of your every day decisions and how they affect your life.
2) Build Quality Relationships
Studies have shown that when your relationships are strong, your health improves as does your ability to handle stress. Take time to build the relationships that matter most in your life and purge the ones that are detrimental to your health.
3) Self-Sabotage
Learning how to say “no” and understanding your emotional and physical limitations are important steps to alleviating stress in your life. This is true for both your personal and business lives. If you are overwhelmed with work and your boss asks you to take on another project and you say “yes”, you’re increasing your stress level and hurting your health. Explain what you’re currently working on and say, “I am happy to take this on, but one or more of the other projects I am working on must be postponed or reassigned to someone else.”
While you might think speaking up will get you in trouble at work or put you in a less than favorable light with your boss, the exact opposite is true. They’ll appreciate the fact that you have communicated what you have going on and that, in order for you to produce the highest quality of work by the deadline, you need your workload shifted.
Here are some tips to help manage stress:
1) Exercise/Mediation
Exercise reduces stress and burns fat. It’ll also reduce your heart rate and your blood pressure. Meditation is great for stress management as well because it teaches you to relax and focus which will help you cope with life’s stresses better.
2) Walk
It doesn’t need to be a strenuous walk, just a walk. Get outside, breath in fresh air, change your surroundings. While you may think walking is a waste of time, it’s good for your body and your mind. A short walk while you’re at work might help you think more clearly or see a project or situation in a different light which often gives people the answer they’ve been looking for. A clearer, more relaxed mind is better able to solve problems. If you’re prone to getting great ideas while walking, bring something to write with and a pad of paper, too.
3) Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking
Drugs, alcohol and smoking, even in limited amounts, have a negative impact on your life and your stress level. Avoid them whenever possible.
Don’t let stress run your life. Take the first step. Take a deep breath, go for a short walk to clear your mind and refocus. Know that you can get through whatever is stressing you out because every problem has a solution.