Sleep well
One of the most common symptoms of stress is having trouble sleeping. Adequate sleep is fundamental to our health. When we start lacking sleep, it affects our thinking and attitude, our body is tired, and we start getting sick. Sleep difficulties signal to us that something is going on in our lives and that we are going through a stressful period.
Move for pleasure
Introducing regular physical activity, a 15-minute walk every day, yoga, swimming, go a long way in improving our mental and physical state and sleeping soundly.
Each of us has a different circadian rhythm. Some of us function better early in the day, others later in the day. It is useful to observe ourselves to figure out how we can use the day. To find out and acquire this kind of knowledge, you have to observe and listen to your body and mind – what it has to tell us, what it wants to inform us about.
Be good to yourself
Work on your inner voice: the inner critic vs. the supportive parent. Who are you more of now? Support yourself in your actions, don’t criticize that you didn’t manage something – learn from your mistakes, gain experience, move forward.
Focus on development
Choose something you haven’t had the opportunity to do before, learn something new. Do it at your own pace, don’t put pressure on yourself, don’t feel bad that maybe in your opinion you are waiting too long for the effects of the new skills you are learning, give yourself time.
Keep a healthy diet
Consult with a dietitian who can help you determine what you can do and how you can implement healthy eating habits. After all, we are what we eat!
Take good care of your breath
Adequate oxygenation is essential for maintaining health. It reduces stress, improves brain and whole body function, and boosts energy. Even a 15-minute walk can benefit us greatly in this respect! Each exhalation is the removal of unnecessary substances, and the inhalation is something new and needed – renewal. Focusing on the breath keeps us in the here and now and increases body awareness.
Practice mindfulness
Mindfulness is consciously experiencing what is happening to us, observing our breath, our thoughts and feelings. Without judgment or denial. Conscious mindfulness affects changes in our attitudes toward many things. It affects our self-image and, by extension, the image of the world in which we function.
By regularly engaging attention, doing breathing exercises, and meditation, we can better read, capture and respond to body signals. Understanding what is going on in our bodies, or ourselves, gives us the opportunity to influence and change our health and thus our quality of life. We can really have a big impact on what happens to us, how we think, feel and function! Doesn’t knowing this immediately make you feel better about yourself?
Do sports
Regular physical activity affects both our physical and mental condition. Movement plays an important role in reducing the stress that each of us faces in our lives. Physical activity promotes prevention related to mental health. Physical exertion triggers the release of endorphins, which are responsible for feeling good. Called “happy hormones”, they also have an anesthetic effect, minimizing pain sensations. In addition to this substance, during exercise the body also produces dopamine or serotonin, among others, which has a calming and antidepressant effect. It also affects the quality of our sleep, which in turn is associated with better attention and better cognitive functioning.
If you meet your needs first and foremost, then it will be easier for you to take care of the needs of others as well. Also remember that you can ask for help from your loved ones, acquaintances, friends, family. It is also always a good idea to get professional support and talk to a psychologist, who can help you put your difficulties into perspective and provide you with expertise and support.
