Reduce Stress, or your reaction to stress

Stress confronts us every day. Between family and work, paying bills and meeting deadlines-life can be very stressful at times. Stress can actually  be good for us. A little bit of stress pushes us to be alert and be energetic. Its the prolonged stress however that wears us down. So lets be on top of our stress and not vise versa. 

  Here are some ideas and tips to reduce and relieve stress. 

1. Exercise. Blow off that extra steam with exercising. Exercise releases endorphins which enhance our mood and make us feel good. This also causes a decrease in blood sugar levels and blood pressure as well. Exercising during the day will allow you to sleep better at the end of the day thus again helping us recover from stress. However don't over do it. Too much exercise is like any other stressors, its no good. Every person has their unique threshold, so find out what amounts of exercise are good for you. 

2. Do not multi task. I know its part of every day life, but it doesn't have to be. When we try to juggle too much at once, we subconsciously feel overwhelmed. It may feel like your accomplishing more when you eat while on the phone and are also reading the paper at the same time, but this over stresses the body and leads us to being less efficient. 

3. Deep Breathing. Shallow breathing causes anxiety. Instead of breathing from your chest, try breathing from your stomach. Get into the habit of taking deep breaths regularly and you will feel calmer. 

4. Get a good nights sleep. It may seem obvious but many people cut this one out so they can accomplish more. The thing is that with less sleep we function worse and probably end up under producing. Remember there is quality and quantity.

Good Luck!