Stress! We cannot overemphasize the importance of managing stress for a better, healthier, and happier life. Our modern world puts us in so much pressure that it becomes almost impossible to escape stress. Today, more people are feeling overwhelmed more than ever before in history. From the moment you wake up until you drop on your bed at night, there is always something in-between these periods to get you worked up and stressed. Most of us have come to accept stress as a normal part of our lives. Unfortunately, this isn’t good. Why? It is simple. Stress is not good for you! It can destroy your relationship, cause bad lifestyle choices such as taking of alcohol and drug abuse, it can also destroy your health and even lead to death in certain cases. So, it’s necessary to beat stress to live a happy and healthy life.

Interestingly, a lot of people have no idea that they can die from stress. According to a study by the Center for Disease Control and National Institute on Occupational Safety and Health, over 120,000 people in the United States die every year as a direct result of work-related stress. Your health insurance may not be enough to protect you from chronic sickness or death caused by death. You have to come up with a good plan to beat your stress. In this article you will learn – What is stress and how to beat stress.

What is Stress?

National Institute of Mental Health described stress simply as the brain’s response to any kind of physical or mental demand. Today, most people are faced with so many tasks daily. Completing these tasks require both mental and physical energy. Thus, it puts your brain on so much pressure to provide the mental and physical capacity required to process information or complete a task.
Whenever you are stressed, your body is forced to release chemicals to give you increased energy as well as muscle strength. However, this usually has a consequence that affects your health later. Stress can be recurring, short term or long term. In most cases, stress is triggered by some sort of change in one’s life.

You can easily become stressed while juggling works, family, and other commitments you may have. Health insurance companies recommend you avoid stress. No doubt, it can have big negative effects on your life. Thus, stress reduction is very important in maintaining both your physical, mental and emotional health. Unfortunately, managing stress is a skill that most people do not possess.

Top Factors That Causes Stress

A lot of factors can contribute to stress. These factors that cause stress are known as stressors and can even differ from one individual to another. Most people think that stress comes only when you do energy-intensive activities. However, this is not entirely true. Factors that cause stress can be as mild as driving to work. Your divorce, breakup, lack of a job, exposure to a violent incident, and even an invitation to give a public speech can all cause stress.
Your chances of being stressed increases when you do not get enough sleep or rest. Beating stress requires having a good plan. It also involves learning to manage your time very well.

What Are the Major Symptoms of Stress?

Stress has so many symptoms. Perhaps, this is why it is hard to identify. In most cases, most people don’t even know that they are stressed until they develop ill health. When you are stressed, you may feel dizzy, nauseated, or just plain overwhelmed. Other symptoms of stress include:
• Loss of weight
• Alcohol abuse
• Increased drug use
• Inability to focus on your work
• Easily irritable
• Mood swings
• Changes in appetite
• The inability to sleep as a result of racing thoughts
• Feeling overwhelmed constantly
In some cases, health issues such as diarrhea and vomiting are associated with stress. It can also lead to headaches and body aches, sleep and digestive issues, as well as depression. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health also states that stress can lead to serious health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and anxiety disorder. Every year, over 120,000 people in the United States die as a direct result of stress.
If you have a pre-existing health condition, stress can worsen your health condition if you don’t learn to manage it very well. To ensure you stay healthy and happy, we’ve made a list of 8 ways you can manage your stress.

How to Beat Stress For a Healthier and Happier Life?

You can beat stress by changing your day to day life cycle. There are following natural tips to beat stress:

1. Identify Your Stressors
The logic is simple. You cannot fight stress unless you have been able to identify things that make you stressed. Your work, family, friends, or even the pursuit of your life goals could be the reason why you are always stressed. You need to sit down and make a list of factors that contribute to your stress. If you have good health insurance that pays for mental health, you can talk to a psychologist to help you identify stressors in your life.

2. List Some Solutions and Come Up With a Plan
Now that you’ve identified your stressors, you need to come up with an effective plan to tackle them. This plan could be as simple as focusing on what matters. It can also mean relaxing more and giving up fighting for control especially of things that you cannot control. Additionally, you can break tasks into smaller parts so it becomes easier to accomplish and manage them.

3. Eat a Balanced Diet
You need to eat right if you want to eliminate stress from your life. A lot of foods we eat also contribute to our health problems such as stress. Generally, it is recommended that you avoid fatty foods such as potato chips or white-flour-based foods. You should also avoid eating refined sugar and snacks with tons of refined sugar. Eat natural foods. Organic foods such as fruits and vegetables will not only help you to manage stress but also improve your overall health.

4. Avoid Alcohol
Alcohol is certainly not good for your health. Most people that are stressed tend to drink too much alcohol to manage their stress. Unfortunately, this will only worsen the problem for you. It may work in the short-term, but it always has long-term health consequences. You can have one or two glasses of drinks with friends after work or when you are socializing. It is good for your mental health as far as you do not take too much. However, taking alcohol as a solution for managing stress is bad and will lead to other health problems. Most people who choose alcohol as a way to manage stress found out later that it damaged their relationship and perhaps ruined their lives.

5. Do a Regular Exercise
There is no substitute for exercise. Whether you are 18, 30, 54, or 70 years old, there is always the right kind of exercise for you. Multiple studies have shown that exercise is a great way to manage stress and improve your overall health. It makes your muscles tense and relaxes thereby making you feel good physically. The benefits of exercise are not just physically but also mentally and emotionally. Your body releases good hormones during exercise. These hormones make us feel happy and content. There are tons of exercise you can do without paying for a gym. You can do regular running at least 30 minutes a day for 3 days a week. In a case where running is not feasible, you can try power walk for an hour. Almost everyone can do a power walk. You should also try other exercises such as yoga or weightlifting. The trick is to make regular exercise part of your weekly schedule.

6. Get Adequate Sleep
Good sleep also can help you to beat Stress. Are you getting at least 6 hours of sleep per night? Experts recommend that you form a habit that includes going to bed early. You can create a schedule that involves going to bed at least by 11 pm every night. This way, you can be able to get at least 6 hours of sleep. You can try some natural remedies such as herbal teas if you are having trouble sleeping. Additionally, bananas, cherries, and even sweet potatoes have chemical properties that can help you to sleep better.

7. Pamper Yourself
You need to take good care of yourself if you want to eliminate stress completely. To do this, you need to pamper yourself. This includes eating good foods, getting enough rest, socializing, and having fun. Focus more on what nourishes you and avoid what depletes you. Establish a calming morning routine such as meditation or yoga. Whenever you are feeling overwhelmed, do not hesitate to ask for help.

8. Get a Good Health Insurance
You can also adopt cooking or gardening as a fun hobby to beat the stress. All around the world, millions of people do not have health insurance. More people are “under-covered” with their current health insurance policy. Lack of the right insurance policy means that you won’t’ be able to get the right treatment you need on time. You need quality health insurance that also covers your mental health. This will help you to regularly talk with a psychologist. Additionally, comprehensive health insurance will give you peace of mind. You will be happier knowing that you can easily access treatment with good health insurance.

Final Words
Health is wealth. Everyone feels stressed and it is almost impossible to avoid it all the time. However, the tips above can help you to significantly keep your stress level low. You will live a more fulfilled, healthier, and happier life if you can avoid stress.