Stress isn’t just inconvenient, it’s also a common factor in many health conditions. Stress plays an even larger role in causing health conditions later in life as immune systems start to become less productive. Learning to manage your stress can be a key factor in living a longer, healthier, and happier life. Whether you’re sick of feeling stress or stress is actually making you sick, FitClub has suggestions you can use today to start improving your relationship with stress.
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Recognize that you’re under stress. Stress often cleverly disguises itself as a headache, backache, or moodiness. Your normal self control or calm demeanor may start to suffer, leading you to overeat, consume alcohol in excess, or take risks you might not normally take either at work or in your personal life. Recognizing that what you’re feeling may be a symptom of stress is the first defense against letting the stress run your life. Taking a moment to recognize that your body or brain’s reaction is stress-driven can help you create the ability to ease the impact of stress on your life. Stepping away from your office for a brisk walk or a quiet meditation can help to halt the impact of stress and its reign of terror on your body and mind.
Work it out. When stress leaves you feeling overwhelmed and frazzled, you may prefer to work harder and faster to try to remove whatever it is that’s causing you stress. This response may be counterproductive because it can result in increased level of the stress hormone, cortisol, in your body. Conversely, the hormones released by vigorous exercise have been proven to mitigate the release of cortisol, reduce your stress, and fill your body with endorphins, allowing you to feel better very quickly. If you regularly feel stress at certain parts of the day, take a look at FitClub’s group exercise class schedule and plan your workout around your stress. If, for instance, you know that afternoons are always taxing, try stepping out on your lunch break to get your FitClub fix for a calmer, more productive afternoon.
Learn to meditate. The brain is a natural problem solver. It is constantly looking for problems and searching for ways to resolve those issues. The over-connected nature of the world today makes this increasingly difficult for our brains. In contrast to an overflowing email inbox or constant alerts on your phone, meditation is the quiet space your brain needs to sort out what problems require attention and which you can accept. Creating this space is key to your mental and physical health. While meditation can seem overwhelming if you’re not accustomed to the practice, FitClub offers a meditation class that can introduce you to the concepts or enhance your existing meditation practice. Once you begin a meditation practice, it becomes an increasingly useful habit that you can take with you wherever and whenever you need it.
How do you manage your stress? Share your tips and tricks with fellow FitClub members in the comment section.
