De-Stress Your Day

How to Find Relief from Anxiety, Panic Attacks, and Stress

Everyone knows that stress and anxiety are bad for you. But do you know exactly how and why it’s bad? And, more importantly, do you know how to reduce stress?

Let's take a look at the real dangers of stress for physical and mental health - and, more importantly, what you can do to prevent and/or relieve them.

Here are the most common ways that anxiety, panic attacks, and stress have a negative impact on your life:

Compromised Immune System. Both chronic and acute stress and anxiety can weaken your immune system, putting you more at risk for everyday illnesses. Individuals who manage their stress well have fewer bouts with the common cold, allergies, and seasonal flu.

Increased Chance of Other Health Risks. Exposure to stress and anxiety, especially uncontrolled stress and anxiety, takes a toll physiologically on your body.

Chemical Imbalances. Certain chemicals, such as dopamine, epinephrine, and other neurotransmitters are released during times of stress. You may experience higher blood pressure, increased heart rate, insomnia, and other symptoms, i.e., restlessness, fight-or-flight-or freeze mode when you’re stressed.

Chronic Disease. High stress levels have been linked with many health challenges and illnesses. You are at a greater risk for strokes, heart attacks, headaches and migraines, fatigue, insomnia and difficulty sleeping, weight gain, muscle weakness, chest pain, stomach aches, cancer, and other cardiovascular diseases.

Low Productivity and Other Limitations. Feelings of anxiety can significantly reduce productivity and inhibit one's ability to function in daily life due to limiting thoughts. Healthy new ventures feel too difficult, or even impossible; for example, taking a class, making new friend, starting a business, or reaching out and asking for help.

More Severe Anxiety. Anxiety ranges from minor worry, feeling stressed and unable to calm down or relax, to being in constant worry, fear of failure, performance anxiety or a constant stressed state to full panic attacks. Left unresolved, anxiety feeds upon itself and grows stronger

Improve Your Physical and Mental State with Stress Management

When you begin to address and resolve your stress and anxiety, you will feel physically better. You will experience a greater amount of energy, experience less physical pain, and enjoy an increased quality of sleep because your mind won’t be preoccupied with stress.

In terms of your mental health state, lower stress levels lead to better concentration and focus, a calmer mood, less irritability, less depression, less fear, less negativity, and less excessive worry and concern - i.e., losing your job, or obsessing thinking that your spouse is having an affair.

Managing Your Stress - De-Stress by Putting Yourself First

There are all sorts of ways to get your stress under control. Perhaps the best way for you to work on getting your stress down is by coming up with a plan that is individually tailored to you and your schedule.

The most important part of stress management is establishing a plan and routine. These practices involve setting aside at least 30 minutes each day to spend in a quiet space, free of distractions. Setting aside a specific portion of your day, even if you have to schedule breaks in your workday, ensures that you’re giving yourself the time you need to de-stress.

Consider using these stress-reducing practices:

Deep breathing exercises. Paying attention to your body’s natural breathing patterns is an important part of these practices. Take a few slow, deep, relaxing breaths. Focus on your breath and alleviate your stress by reacting differently to the situation.

Exercise and walking. The release of endorphins to your brain acts as a buffer against stress as they produce a calm and soothing effect. Endorphins are like a natural antidepressant. Whether you go for a daily walk, or run, or take a trip to the gym, physical activity is good for both your brain and body.

Meditation and mindfulness. Meditation and mindfulness have been shown to have a positive effect on a person’s stress level and their ability to both manage stress and de-stress.

Laughter and other diversions. Laughing out loud, counting to 10 or humming a song are good ways to shut down stress response.

Boundaries. It's OK to say no to a request when it truly doesn't take care of you and your needs by doing it.

Simplify your schedule. Is your "to-do" list too much? Do you need to better manage your workload? Is your workload causing exhaustion? Do you need to prioritize which activities are important NOW, that you really want to do and can realistically fit into your schedule?

Get social. Join a Meetup or support group or find other ways for fun, social interaction, support, and extrovert time.

Be kind to your body. Focus on a healthy diet of nutritional foods and other healthy ways to nurture yourself, like massages.

Live from your Adult Self. Stay focused in your Adult Self versus your Inner Child. Your Adult is logical, non-reactive, and solution oriented. It gathers information, solves problems, and takes action. It is reassuring, loving, and nurturing to your Inner Child.

Praise yourself. Focus on your strengths and abilities vs limitations. Write a list of 100 positive qualities about yourself. Ask others for their input and add those to the list.

Think positive. Stop and notice the limiting thoughts and feelings you are currently having i.e. I'm not good enough, I don't have enough money, I don't know how to do this, I am powerless, No one loves me. Get support and reframe the negative thoughts to stop the anxiety: I enjoy doing this. No matter what, it always works out for me. I can handle this. I am safe in the here and now. I take time to prepare and get help if I need it.

Get support. Seek the services of a Life Coach or Hypnotherapist to get to the root cause of your stress, remove it and lock in new tools and skills to use.

REMEMBER: Failing to get your stress under control can lead to negative repercussions in your physical, mental, and overall well-being.

Start clearing your stress today by using the above practices. Soon, you’ll be singing the praises of your practices as you see your stress melt away and enjoy feeling healthy and happy. If you need guidance and support incorporating these techniques, consider scheduling a Consultation with me!