In this time of chaos and madness, there’s a common factor we all struggle to handle: stress. Stress is not the enemy, and can be a useful tool when kept at a moderate level. But, what happens when you’re stressing too much?

The Mayo Health Clinic’s article, “5 Tips to Manage Stress”, talks about some very practical ways that you can control and handle your stress. They suggest that you first try guided meditation. While I used to be very tentative to get near this method, I did try it myself and it really does make a difference. I felt calm and, oddly enough, refreshed after I tried a meditation online. There are many places on the internet where you can find simple and free meditation guides.

The Mayo Clinic’s second tip for managing stress is to practice some deep breathing, and I’ve actually found this method to relieve my stress very well. It’s a good way to calm down your body, and the Mayo Clinic article describes this method as a great method to “reduce the activation of your sympathetic nervous system.” This system controls how our body reacts to certain threats, so deep breaths can be taken to relieve and calm down this section of our nervous system. Simply count to five as you breathe in, hold that breath for two second, and release for five seconds. While you do this, your parasympathetic nervous system will be reducing the anxiety overwhelming your body. 

Another useful tip given was to exercise and practice good nutrition. This is a commonly known tip for helping your stress and health, but most people don’t know the true benefit of the activity and nutrition your body can be enduring. When you’re healthy and your body is functioning in a healthy way, your mind is able to function in a healthy way. This works both ways, so the mind and body are constantly feeding off of each other. The Mayo Clinic says that physical exercise is proven to relieve stress in such a significant way, and it also is able to improve quality of life. On the other side of the equation for this tip, nutrition is important as it can combat stress when it depletes our bodies’ vitamins. This proper nutrition helps both our minds and our bodies feel better, which in turn combats stress.

The final two methods that The Mayo Clinic provides for managing our stress and maintaining a healthy level is to manage your social media time and connect with others. The clinic says that spending time on social media sites produces a large amount of stress, and we tend to only notice the stress created by what we see. There’s also stress produced by the amount of time we spend on social media sites. They suggest going outside and getting a healthy dose of fresh air. Along with fresh air and nature, interaction with other people is highly recommended by The Mayo Clinic, and is the final tip for managing your stress. We, as humans, are social beings, and we need to have connections with other human beings. Being able to feel that sense of company with other people and being part of a true community is tremendously important to every person’s well-being. Having that enjoyment in a shared activity makes for opportunities to form meaningful relationships, and these relationships can help you in times of anger, sadness, or even……….stress. 

Take these tips and tricks for managing stress into consideration. I did, and I truly feel as though I’m able to control that one thing holding me back and creating toxic feelings inside of me. Stress can be used as a tool for accomplishing goals, but it can come in amounts that are too big, and it’s very important to know how to combat stress when it overflows in your life. 

Information in article provided by The Mayo Clinic: “5 tips to manage stress”(https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/5-tips-to-manage-stress)