Stress alone won’t kill you, but it can increase the risk of conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke. It is also linked to unhealthy habits like binge eating and junk food, lack of sleep and alcohol abuse. Here are 5 ideas to reduce your stress.
Exercise
Exercise is a great stress buster. Cardio exercise fills the body with positive endorphins, plus the agony of jogging up a hill or those last few minutes on a bike machine can certainly distract you from life’s worries! Improving physical health is often closely linked with mental health.
Crafting
A fantastic choice to help practice mindfulness, crafting – like knitting, paper crafts and macrame – is a great way to relax and look after your mental health.
If you have never tried crafting before, luckily many online retailers offer a macrame kit or other craft kits to get you started. All a beginner needs to do is order a knitting or macrame kit online to have all the materials they need, and online retailers can also provide instructions to make a broad range of beautiful items.
Spending time with a pet
As if you needed more reason to cuddle your fluffy friend, research studies have shown that a cuddle with a pet can reduce stress and improve mental health. Dogs also provide a great excuse to take a break, get out of the house and head to the park, providing physical benefits as well as mental.
Gardening
As well as the benefits of the exercise it provides and spending time in the great outdoors, there is something indescribable about planting things and watching them grow. So get some gloves on and get outside!
Talking Therapy
Finally, if your level of stress is becoming unmanageable or you are experiencing things like panic attacks or heart palpitations, it’s best to get yourself to the GP. One treatment they may offer is talking therapy, which the mental health charity Mind recommends for stress. After all, a problem shared is a problem halved.
