Ameloriating the Physical Effects of Stress & Mental Strain

Most people understand that in order to operate optimally and chase our best health standard, dealing with our stress is absolutely essential. Yet there are healthy and unhealthy methods of dealing with our stress. Going for a walk in the morning is considered healthy, while drinking a few beers every evening is not.

While stress is near-inevitable for many people, there’s nothing that states you have to suffer from its physical effects for a prolonged period of time. Wellness centres, corporations, and even the military are starting to understand the benefit of stress management and in ameliorating the physical issues that relate to mental strains.

In prisons, for example, many mindfulness meditation programs are being launched and have proven to reduce intra-prison conflict and recidivism rates. It can be hard to know where to begin as the average person just trying to do well for themselves, however, and especially if they’ve been struggling with a mental illness, of which one in three people will encounter at some point in their lives.

Visiting your doctor is an essential first step; don’t let advice you read online counter the direct guidance of mental health or medical professional. However, you may wish to implement the following advice:

Meditation

It can feel as though your stress may drain after some time, but that’s not always the case. Stress can pile on top of prior stress, to the point where you reach a breaking point if you’ve bottled it all up. This is why having a dedicated five or ten minutes each day towards meditation can make such a massive difference, and help you set a routine that you follow no matter what.

For instance, ten minutes before bed, try and meditate using the mindfulness method. If you have time after working out, this can help you do the same. Consider this a ‘mental shower’ where you feel a lot more alert and able to process your stress rather than simply brush it aside. It might not feel as though much is going on when this happens, but you’d be surprised just how effective the effort can be. In some cases, low-impact and friendly procedures like neurofeedback treatment can serve as a fantastic alternative.

Low-Impact Exercise

Low-impact exercise has a similar effect to meditation, and in some cases could even be considered meditation in the best possible light. Ameliorating the physical effects of stress can be better applied when you actually use physical movement to process it.

By low-impact we mean exercise that’s accessible and friendly to your joints. You may be able to dissolve your stress by performing hill sprints, but it doesn’t really give your body the ability to relax into a meditative movement. Light rowing, hiking, swimming, cycling, these exercises can help us remove our stress comfortably, as can purposeful, proper compound lifting with an ergonomic barbell. 

Appropriate Sleep Cycles

Ultimately, without proper sleep, you can’t expect your body or mind to recover and your stress will never dissipate. Sleep is what helps us feel rejuvenated each day. Sleeping well means taking the time to actually focus on your sleeping schedule and sleep hygiene. Go to bed and wake up at similar times (as exact as you can get it), and try to limit distractions.

This means stopping drinking coffee by a certain time and making sure our sleeping environment is properly temperature controlled. On top of that, you’ll find benefit in little aids, like memory foam ear plugs if you live in a noisy environment, or even memory-foam pillows and mattresses if you need them. That has a great effect in the long run.

Watch Your Diet

Of course, what you put into your body also has an effect on the kind of stress you can take and what you may wish to avoid. We all know that it’s harder to shift stress if we’re eating poorly, we’re taking way too much sugar each day, and are building a slight dependency on alcohol.

If you can watch your diet, drink plenty of water, add a multivitamin to your diet as well as some omega-3 tablets, and lessen your vices, then you’ll feel healthier and be better able to get better sleep. In the long run, this can make a profound difference on your general sense of wellbeing going forward. You’d be surprised just how well this can work, and why nutritionists thoroughly recommend a healthy diet not only to lose weight, but to live sustainably and healthily.

With this advice, we hope you can more readily ameliorate the physical effects of stress and mental strain. It’s the least you deserve.