Healthy Lifestyle Habits for Stress Relief

Healthy Lifestyle Habits for Stress Relief Stress Management Management Techniques Print Healthy Lifestyle Habits for Stress Relief By Elizabeth Scott, MS twitter Elizabeth Scott, MS, is a wellness coach specializing in stress management and quality of life, and the author of 8 Keys to Stress Management. Learn about our editorial policy Elizabeth Scott, MS Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on February 21, 2017 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on January 03, 2020 How Stress Impacts Your Health Overview Signs of Burnout Stress and Weight Gain Benefits of Exercise Stress Reduction Tips Self-Care Practices Mindful Living Creative RM/Liam Norris/Getty Images We all experience stress. It comes in all aspects of life, and in itself, it isnt always a bad thing. Stress can be a motivator to hard work, it can accompany exciting events, and life wouldnt be the same without it. Stress can even be good for us, particularly if it isnt experienced at overwhelming levels. And, just as stress comes from many areas of life, effective stress management comes from combating stress on many different fronts. Why Maintaining a Balanced Lifestyle Is Important Part of a comprehensive stress relief plan involves finding ways to calm down quickly so you can more effectively manage stress as it comes  while avoiding the negative effects of chronic stress. Another important way to relieve stress is to maintain healthy lifestyle habits. Learning to live a healthy lifestyle often brings additional benefits too, such as an endorphin rush, a release of frustration, or added longevity. Many of the healthy lifestyle habits discussed here can also help you to become less reactive to stress, in the long run, providing protection against stress you havent even experienced yet While maintaining healthy habits is a bit more challenging than trying a stress relief method only once, the benefits you receive from maintaining a healthy lifestyle are more than worth the effort it takes to maintain it. The increases in health and wellness that you experience, as well as the reduction in stress, will make you wish youd made these changes sooner, and can be wonderful sources of continued motivation. Healthy lifestyle habits can help you better manage your stress response, enabling you to avoid or even reverse the negative effects of chronic stress. Making Changes Can Be Intimidating Many people feel intimidated or frustrated with making healthy lifestyle changes for a few reasons, including: Not knowing where to start:  There are so many changes that can benefit health and wellness that it can be difficult to know how to begin.Doing too much at once:  People often try to make too many changes at once, then find it too difficult (or let perfectionism sabotage their efforts) and give up the effort.Stress: Lets face itâ€"change is difficult, especially when youre stressed. Sometimes lifestyle stress takes over and diminishes your momentum. Given that living a healthy lifestyle can help with stress relief, and that making healthy lifestyle changes can be challenging, the following resources can help you with both choosing new goals for healthy living and with  making these new goals a reality by  adopting new healthy habits into your lifestyle. Healthy Lifestyle Choices Here are some changes you can make to lead a healthier, less stressed lifestyle: Healthy eating: One of the most popular changes people like to make to live a healthy lifestyle is to eat differently. Because of the negative health consequences of obesity, the influence fitness has on our self-esteem, and the effects of nutrition on our stress levels and longevity, switching to a healthier diet brings some of the greatest benefits for wellness.Regular exercise:  Getting regular exercise is another wonderful way to keep your weight in check, manage overall stress levels, and stay connected with others. Exercise can also help keep many health conditions at bay and is well worth the effort. The trick is to start gradually and work your way up.Quality sleep: People often underestimate the importance of getting enough sleep, and getting the right type. However, lack of adequate sleep has many negative consequencesâ€"theyre subtle  but significant. Getting enough sleep isnt one of the most popular changes that people resolve to make, but it should be. Because stress can rob you of sleep, and because many of the techniques that promote sleep can also reduce stress (and vice versa), its a very good idea to learn more about how stress affects sleep and how to get quality sleep when youre stressed. How Does Stress Affect Your Health?