{"id":1510,"date":"2021-01-31T14:00:35","date_gmt":"2021-01-31T20:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/?p=1510"},"modified":"2021-01-31T08:56:49","modified_gmt":"2021-01-31T14:56:49","slug":"feeling-stressed-ways-to-improve-your-well-being","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/?p=1510","title":{"rendered":"Feeling Stressed? Ways to Improve Your Well-Being"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Feeling Stressed? Ways to Improve Your Well-Being<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\tHave you been feeling more stressed than usual? Many people are during these challenging times. The COVID-19 pandemic has many people feeling overwhelmed.<\/b><\/i>


\n\nEveryone feels stress sometimes. It\u2019s a natural response to a challenge or demand. Stress can come from the day-to-day pressures of work and family.

\n\nBut stress is much more than just being busy, explains Dr. Janice Kiecolt-Glaser of The Ohio State University, who studies the effects of stress on the body.

\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s the feeling that you\u2019re overloaded, out of control, and unable to cope,\u201d she says.

\n\nStress can also come from a sudden negative change in your life like a divorce or losing a job. Traumatic events like a major accident, assault, or natural disaster can cause severe stress.

\n\nIt\u2019s important for your health and well-being to learn how to cope with stress. Researchers are working to understand how stress affects health. They\u2019re also studying ways to relieve stress. These techniques may help you to feel calmer and more relaxed.

\n\nStress and the Body<\/b>

\nStress isn\u2019t always bad. It\u2019s actually a survival response. It helps you leap into action in the face of a threat. Your heart rate speeds up, and you breathe faster as you prepare to fight or run to safety.

\n\nShort-term stress can even help you perform\u2014you\u2019re more able to ace an interview or meet a project deadline. But when stress lasts a long time, it may also harm your health. Your body is constantly acting as if it were in immediate danger.

\n\n\u201cThere\u2019s a really big body of research now that says that chronic stress promotes inflammation,\u201d says Kiecolt-Glaser.\n\nInflammation is associated with many diseases, including heart disease, cancer, arthritis, and some mental health conditions.

\n\nStress may also affect your metabolism\u2014the chemical changes in the body that release energy and produce the substances you need to grow, move, and stay healthy.

\n\nKiecolt-Glaser\u2019s research shows that stressful events can cause the body to burn fewer calories at rest. Stress can also cause changes in mood and increase irritability with those around us.

\n\nWays to De-Stress<\/b>

\nThe first step is to recognize the signs that you\u2019re stressed beyond a normal level. Trouble sleeping can be one. Some people get headaches or stomachaches. Stress can also cause changes in appetite that lead you to gain or lose weight.

\n\nOnce you know you need to reduce stress, there are practical steps you can try. Getting regular exercise can be helpful. Doing an activity you enjoy can also help with stress. This can be anything\u2014from dancing to making art or getting out into nature or having fun with friends.

\n\nMaking sure to get enough sleep is important, too. \u201cPeople are more sensitive to stress when they don\u2019t have enough sleep,\u201d says Kiecolt-Glaser.

\n\nStaying socially connected is important, too. Close personal relationships are key to reducing stress. Reaching out to friends and family by phone, video chat, and email can help you stay in touch even when you\u2019re not able to see them in person.

\n\n\u201cMake a conscious effort to reach out and to maintain contact,\u201d says Kiecolt-Glaser. \u201cLoneliness is really destructive.\u201d

\n\nEating regular, well-balanced meals and avoiding alcohol and other drugs also help reduce stress.

\n\nMindfulness Approaches<\/b>

\nUsing mindfulness helps some people cope with stress. It teaches you to focus on being present in the moment. Research shows that simply being aware of what you\u2019re doing can improve well-being.

\n\nOne study showed that people spent nearly half of their waking life not paying attention to what they were doing, says Dr. Richard Davidson of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, an expert on mindfulness. \u201cAnd when they were not paying attention to what they\u2019re doing, they were significantly less happy.\u201d

\n\nDavidson\u2019s research is shedding light on how mindfulness affects the brain to improve mood. \u201cRegular mindfulness practices can have an impact on specific circuitry in the brain that we know to be important in emotion regulation,\u201d he explains.

\nFor those starting to practice mindfulness: One size is not likely to fit all. Davidson recommends starting modestly with three to five minutes, a few times a day. That way you don\u2019t get overwhelmed and stop. There are many mindfulness apps available that teach different techniques.

\nJust Breathe<\/b>

\nThe simple act of controlled breathing can bring stress relief.

\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s well known that slow breathing techniques have a positive effect on emotional state,\u201d says Dr. Jack Feldman of UCLA, an expert on the neuroscience of breathing.

\n\nHis research has identified the brain circuits responsible for breathing and sighing. Now he\u2019s working to understand how breathing techniques affect the brain to improve mood.

\n\nBreathing techniques can be used to help people who are depressed or anxious. Controlled breathing may disrupt the brain circuits involved in depression; he explains.

\n\nThere are many different breathing techniques you can try. Practicing a few minutes a day can help you get started.

\n\n\u201cPeople who start up a breathing practice may find that it reduces their stress and anxiety considerably,\u201d he says.\n\n\nIf you want to try controlled breathing, \u201cbelly breathing\u201d is a simple form. Sit or lie down in a comfortable position. Place one hand on your upper chest and the other on your belly. Take a slow, deep breath in through your nose, taking air into your lower belly. The hand on your stomach should rise, while the hand on your chest remains still. Slowly exhale through your mouth.


\n\nContributor: NIH, News in Health<\/i>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Feeling Stressed? Ways to Improve Your Well-Being Have you been feeling more stressed than usual? Many people are during these challenging times. The COVID-19 pandemic has many people feeling overwhelmed. Everyone feels stress sometimes. It<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1510","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health","category-lifestyle"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1510","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1510"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1510\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1513,"href":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1510\/revisions\/1513"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1510"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1510"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1510"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}