Many people may say stress is a bad word and truth be told, it can be very bad and lead to all types of things like health problems, trouble sleeping, emotionally and mentally exhausted and the list goes on! But with stress you don’t always have to focus on the bad stressors, but the good stressors we definitely want to look at. Nobody has time for frustrations, anger, exhaustion and body aches. What is stress you might ask? Stress is the feeling of being overwhelmed or unable to cope with mental or emotional pressure. The sound of that sounds stressful, but there are ways to detox and reset your mind to focus again. Did you know that April is Stress Awareness Month? It has been celebrated every April since 1992. In 1974, the International Stress Management Association was founded by experts and research for stress in the workplace as well as personal stress management. https://integracareclinics.com/april-is-stress-awareness-month-tips-to-help-you-cope/

I find it pretty interesting that a lot of people or even communities don’t talk about stress awareness and the health side of it. It’s apart of a lifestyle that we sometimes walk upon if we aren’t too careful about how we handle certain situations or take on too much.

When we feel like we are getting stressed out whether it’s from our job, projects, or even personal situations, we need to pump the brakes and consider these tips for stress management.

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• Exercise! That’s something I could use in my daily routine. But exercising is one good way to help reduce stressors.
• Mediation- Turn the lights out, light a candle or two, put on some soft soothing music and engage in healthy thoughts. Learn to relax your mind when you are feeling stressed.
• Spend time with family and loved ones- Sometimes laughing with family or even friends can ease your tension and allow you to relax in a comfortable setting you are familiar in. We all need a good laugh every now and then.
• Talk about your stressful situations to family or those you trust the most. The more you talk it out, the better you will start to feel. It’s not healthy to hold all that anger and stress in.
• Take good care of yourself- Mental health plays a huge part and although our focus seems to be on the problem, taking care of yourself should be top priority. Eat a balanced meal, keep hydrated, get plenty of rest, spend time with yourself and pay attention to all the emotions you are feeling.

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With all that said, please be sure to take precaution when you are stressed again. It’s normal to be stressed, but when it lasts too long, you might want to see your local doctor or talk to a therapist about possible steps. I will be back next week to talk to you more about stress and the three types of stress. Until then, educate yourself on stress awareness and see what other things you can do to manage your stress better. https://nationaldaycalendar.com/stress-awareness-month-april/