Tips for Stress Relief (Post-Election)

This election has been … nerve-wracking!  Whether or not your candidate comes out on top, at least it’ll finally be over. Now is a good time to take a look within yourself, recognize how stressed you may be feeling and decompress.

Unhealthy stress can come from any change in your life. Think about the last week.  Have you been sleeping and eating as you should? Carrying stress with you has more of a negative effect on your health than you may realize.

“Look at the stresses in your life,” says Juliet Vento, M.D., a primary care physician with Baptist Health Primary Care. “Try to prioritize and apply time management skills. If you can’t change the stress, at least change the way you react to it.”

Watch the video below as Dr. Vento provides valuable tips for lowering stress.

Steps You Can Take to Lower Stress

You may need to break the mold and get out of your rut.  Try these quick tips to lower your stress level:

If you’re at work:

• Take a few, deep breaths and stretch
• Take a short walk
• Listen to music as you work
• Have a light conversation with a friend

If you have a little more time, maybe over lunch:

• Get a massage
• Step out for a nice lunch
• Go outside and focus on your surroundings

At home:

• Try meditation
• Make a reasonable to-do list, get it done, put it behind you and pat yourself on the back
• Call an old friend
• Spend some time with a pet
• Take time to do what you love

Long term stress reduction plan:

• Eat well-balanced meals
• Limit alcohol and caffeine
• Exercise daily
• Get plenty of sleep
• Learn stress reduction techniques like meditation and yoga

Unplugging is another stress reducer, experts say.  In this digital age, information overload is common.  Make an effort to disconnect and take a break once in a while from electronic devices.

The key is to fight stress with an active response, doctors say. Regular exercise is commonly prescribed as helping reduce stress. Talk to your doctor if the stress you’re carrying is unshakeable or causing physical distress.

Tags: stress management, wellness and prevention