Stress is a normal part of life and occurs in response to different situations such as a physical danger or other challenges like completing an exam or meeting a work deadline. Stress is often helpful to keep you alert and ready to face the danger or motivate you to complete a task.
However, from time to time we can become too stressed and it is no longer helpful. Â
Stress impacts our mind and body in so many different ways such as:Â Â
- Impacting our concentration
- Making us feel overwhelmed, frustrated and irritable
- Increasing our heart rate and blood pressure
- Difficulty remembering things
- Feeling fatigued
- Getting sick frequently
- Impacting our sleep schedule
- Doubting ourselves
- Feeling anxious
- Experiencing chest pain and indigestion
- Losing motivation
- Reduction in our appetiteÂ
- Withdrawing our family and friends
- Gravitating to more unhealthy choices such as alcohol, cigarettes and caffeine
Reduce your stress levels by:Â
- Staying active! Even simple activities such as going for a walk or dancing around your room releases endorphins which reduce stress. Â
- Making sure you get around 7-9 hours of sleep per night.
- Setting boundaries and saying no when things are too much.
- Eating well and staying hydrated. Ensuring you’re eating a variety of foods from the 5 food groups (vegetables, fruit, grains, meats and dairy) and drinking around 8-10 cups of water per day.
- Limiting your time spent on social media.
- Spending time outside in the fresh air.
- Stretching your muscles.
Take care of your mental health for Stress Awareness Month this April and every other month. Â
Find more of our health tips here.
Book an appointment with us here or call us on 9651 5559.
Sources:
Health Direct. 2021. Drinking water and your health. https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/drinking-water-and-your-health
Sleep Health Foundation. 2015. How much sleep do you really need? https://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/pdfs/HowMuchSleep-0716.pdf  Â
Stress Management Society. How it affects us. https://www.stress.org.uk/how-it-affects-us/
Wellbeing SA. 2023. Stress awareness month. https://www.wellbeingsa.sa.gov.au/about-wellbeing-sa/news-announcements/stress-awareness-month