Stress is a killer! It comes from the flight or fight impulse that helps with crisis situations. However, when stress is chronic and not managed, it is dangerous. Reducing stress is essential to your fitness and wellbeing.
Managing stress is vital to your fitness and wellbeing. While some of these tips may seem obvious, I wanted to focus on sustainable lifestyle changes that will help reduce stress.
According to the Mayo Clinic, stress can contribute to weight gain, heart disease, and other issues that affect both the quality and quantity of life.
Managing and reducing stress can offset these effects. The following is a list of several techniques that may help.
Five Ways To Reduce Stress For Fitness and Wellness
1. Learn to say no
Stress is often a result of taking on too many obligations. Focusing time and energy on the important things in life may help reduce stress. Remember, saying no is not always selfish. It can open doors to new opportunities for others and for yourself.
2. Practice time management
Time management skills can prevent procrastination and result in a less stressful life. Improving personal workflow and managing time increases productivity while also reducing stress.
3. Prioritize sleep
Arianna Huffington is right about sleep. People accept that nutrition and exercise are essential to health and productivity. Sleep is the third factor for a healthy life, and adequate rest improves stress management.
4. Make time for relaxation
People who devote a little time for leisure usually feel less “stressed.” Yoga, meditation, and practicing a hobby all help reduce mental stress. Numerous studies indicate the stress management benefits associated with yoga and meditation.
5. Spend time with friends and family
People who maintain healthy relationships feel more supported and better able to manage stress. These people have a lower risk of heart disease.
A busy person may not have time to apply each technique. I like to encourage sustainable lifestyle changes. Choose one or two ideas that would make the most immediate difference. Any action you take that helps reduce stress can increase your quality and quantity of life. It is possible to reduce stress while remaining productive.
Takeaways and Talking Points
Was it false advertising when I suggested this post contains easy ways to reduce stress? If so, what obstacles do you face? What tips or ideas do you have to help the Feeling Fit community reduce stress in their lives?
Also… One of our biggest challenges is giving ourselves permission to prioritize sleep, relaxation, and rest. We can help each other by giving each other permission. Share this post on Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook or your favorite social channel!
I do one of the four things on this list. Spend time with family and I think that could be the cause of some of my stress. LOL. Great list though. I’m working on saying no more.
For me, yoga and meditation work wonders! I am very mindful of when I’m stressed and I usually meditate once a day and do yoga 2-3 times a week.
Great tips for so many of us. Especially prioritizing sleep and learning to say no. I often find myself over committed and therefore my sleep suffers. Once that happens .. life is just plain harder.
I’m really working on #1 and #3. I always feel bad saying ‘no’, but it definitely overtaxes me. And #3, I am insomniac. My brain just goes to work when I lay down. Working on that, too and getting a better routine.
These are all great tips for reducing stress. We definitely all have it in our lives. The two I have trouble with are #1 and #3. The others are pretty simple for me.
Boy, I need to implement all of these in my life today! I know I’m lacking sleep that’s for sure!
I definitely have to catch up on sleep. It is something I often deprive myself of because I’m so busy doing chores or running other errands. It would definitely help me control my stress levels.
I am the person that’s always stressed out, even if it’s nothing major, I’m always finding something to stress about. I definitely need to learn to relax a bit more and just let things come as they may… my husband would definitely agree with me lol. Spending time with friends and family is always a stress free way to relax!
These are wonderful tips. I definitely need to work on my time management skills. I just take on too much and do not give myself any time to myself.