5 Wellness Tips to Eliminate Stress

Everyday stress can build up over time and take a toll on your mental and physical health. Many of us brush it aside and accept it as a part of life, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Making small changes and setting aside some time for yourself can have a huge impact on eliminating stress.

Practicing these five tips over time can help them become a habitual practice for stress relief.   

1. Get Fresh Air

You may notice during the winter you start to feel sluggish and stressed more often. This is because of the shorter days and less time being spent outside in the sunlight and fresh air. While you might not want to go for a walk in Calgary in the middle of January, be sure to take advantage of warmer days. When the weather permits, try to spend more time outside. Breathing in the fresh air can help increase the amount of oxygen you’re taking in and sunlight naturally helps you release more serotonin to relieve stress.

1. Sleep More

It’s easy to feel stressed out when you’re tired. Getting extra sleep when you’re stressed can be difficult when your stress could be causing your sleep issues in the first place. Sleep allows your body to relax and repair itself, and being well-rested can help you deal with stress better. There are many different ways you can try to help yourself sleep better, like keeping screens out of your bedroom, take warm showers at night, reading a book, or playing relaxing music.

1. Exercise  

Being physically active will release endorphins in your body that can make you feel more upbeat and less stressed. Focusing on what your doing will also be useful to help make distract you from whatever was causing you stress. Being active during the day will also help you be able to get more sleep later on.

1. Fix Your Diet

Your diet can affect you in many ways, including stress and anxiety. Eating unhealthy foods can be easier than setting aside time to make a healthy meal, but don’t do much for you. Getting the nutrients your body needs can help make it easier for you to battle stress. Caffeinated drinks are a big part of many people’s lives, but instead of energizing you, they could just be amping up your stress. Caffeine can increase cortisol levels to make stress worse, and wears off throughout the day, leaving you feeling tired and agitated.

1. Try Meditation

You might think that you have no time to fit meditating into your busy schedule or feel overwhelmed with where to start. Getting into meditation is much easier than it may seem, and only take a few minutes a day. You can work in times to meditate while doing everyday tasks like riding public transportation, your lunch break, or taking a few minutes before bed. Meditating can help you focus more and over time helps you learn to process stress in a more effective way.