Being stressed is not always bad; sometimes it gives us the motivation that we are being productive. However, when you are stressed most of the time, it might have some health consequences. Unfortunately, many factors may contribute to stress in our daily lives. It could be the nature of our jobs, issues with our relationship, economic situation of the country, pandemic, school reopening, the weather, or just bad news. If you are a woman, hormone imbalances can also add more to your stress. Many people cannot even identify the cause of their stress but day in day out, our world is becoming a more stressful place to live.
As stated earlier, sometimes you need stress to be ambitious and goal-driven but excessive stress can be harmful to our well-being. When stress builds up, it may lead to anxiety, Insomnia, Irritability, heart palpitations, anger, frustration, forgetfulness, loss of appetite, loss of confidence, constipation, nightmare, agitation, fatigue, shortness of breath, hormonal problem, gain in weight among many other conditions.
Stress can lead to anxiety which may cause uncontrollable fear. When you exercise fear, your adrenalin, and cortisol increase, and your body system changes. This will affect your decision making capability and the functioning of your brain. Generally speaking, stress does affect the body’s hormone secretion and the nervous system. This consequently affects the body’s immune and many other systems in the body including the respiratory and the digestive systems.
Some people can avoid stress, but many cannot. Even if you have full control over your working hour and your relationship, it is not likely that you will have as much control over pandemic or recession. You may not be able to control the economic situation of the country, the prices of commodities, job losses, natural disasters, or hormone imbalances. Moreso, many people cannot avoid stress at their workplace and many mothers can do nothing about the stress of parenting. So, if you can avoid stress, avoid it. If you cannot avoid stress, then manage it. But how do we avoid stress and how do we manage it?
How to Avoid Stress
- Put Your Health First
Understand that your health matters most in everything you do. Therefore, reduce stress at work as much as you can. Whether you are self-employed or you work for an organization, you don’t have to overwork yourself. Every labor law put the wellness of the employee first. Therefore, if your job is stressful, there will always be a way to reduce the responsibility within the context of the law. At home, in your relationship, and as your duty as a parent or partner to someone, make sure you don’t overstress yourself to get things done.
Also, mind your lifestyle. Alcoholism is used by many to relieve stress, but the truth is that it actually adds more to it. Eat a balanced diet, exercise regularly, and sleep well. Avoid too much sugar, caffeine, and unnecessary medication.
- Avoid Bad News at Night
You may ask how? Of course, it may not be easy to know when the news will be good or bad. Then ignore news that can cause you stress. If the economy is going worse or the pandemic is becoming terrible, just avoid news that focuses on it completely. You may only read and listen to the news on entertainment and sports, or shun news completely. If the news is causing you nightmares or difficulty in sleeping, then you may avoid listening to the news at night while you enjoy the news in the day time.
- Do Away With Social Media for Now
Social media can cause you a lot of your sleeping hours, this can lead to stress. If you realize your daily activities are stressful, one of the first ways to reduce the activities and have free time to relax and sleep is to avoid social media, after all, you won’t die without it.
However, if there is no way to avoid stress, then learn how to manage it.
How to Manage Stress
The following actions can help you manage stress
- Be Realistic
The first thing is to accept that you are stressed and it is dangerous. Don’t see it as a usual thing or believe that it will go away on its own. Sit down, think about it, and plan how to manage it.
- Adjust Your Diet
Attempt to detoxify. Avoid some kind of food for a week and see the effect on your stress level. If it produces a good result, then you can continue. If not try another option. Foods that can be eliminated for detoxification purposes include sugar, dairy food, caffeine, and alcohol.
While you remove some food from your diet, you should eat more leafy vegetables, grass-fed meat and pastured eggs, virgin olive oil, butter, processed oils, and coconut oil.
- Use Supplements
Some supplements can help reduce anxiety and stress. These include vitamins like Bs, C, and D3. Omega 3s, magnesium, and ashwagandha herbs are also good for managing stress and anxiety. However, it is essential to take supplements in the right quantity.
With Gratitude and Love
Dewvy 
