May is Mental Health Awareness Month and research shows that stress continues to climb for American workers. A Gallup poll finds that 80% of U.S. workers deal with some type of stress on the job and half admit they need help learning to manage it. A new report from the American Psychological Association backs that up, finding that 76% of adults in the U.S. are dealing with serious physical, mental and emotional health symptoms as a result of stress.
If you think stress is something you don’t need to be that worried about, consider that chronic stress can be just as bad for your mental and physical well-being as smoking or not exercising. It raises your risk of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and also lowers your immune system.
To help us deal with all this stress, neuroscience expert Dr. Patrick K. Porter shares these tips for de-stressing before the stress sets in. He recommends taking doing one of these every day during Mental Health Awareness month:
- Deep breathing - This helps to calm the nervous system, promotes relaxation and reduces stress.
- Mindful meditation - The practice of focusing attention on the present moment and letting go of distractions and worries also help to calm the mind and relax the body, which reduces the production of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. Just a few minutes of meditation a day can lead to improved mental clarity and a greater sense of overall well-being.
- Exercise - Working out releases endorphins and these feel-good chemicals help trigger positive feelings in the body. Exercise also helps reduce the stress hormone cortisol.
- Get enough sleep - Being well rested is essential for reducing stress and maintaining overall health. When we don’t get enough sleep, our bodies produce more stress hormones, so sleep is essential to keeping stress in check.
- Listen to relaxing music - Research shows this slows the heart rate and reduces anxiety levels, helping us feel relaxed and calm.
Source: Forbes
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