Want to Reduce Stress? Do Something You Enjoy!

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Stress is your body and mind’s way of telling you that you’re tired or over-worked, or that you’re simply not happy with the current circumstances you are in.

When a person is stressed, two kinds of hormones, adrenaline and cortisol, are released in the body. These hormones are responsible for that weird on-edge feeling you get when you feel stressed.

Anxiety is a similar concept and the feeling involves experiencing worry, unease or nervousness about any unknown and unexpected outcome.

The most important thing to remember is that stress and anxiety are natural feelings, triggered as a bodily response to certain situations. One of the best ways to relieve stress is to simply do something you enjoy!

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Why Do We Feel Like This?

Anyone can experience stress and anxiety, whether it is because of increased work load, lack of sleep, depression or even bad eating habits. Of course, the problem is more pronounced among certain people.

If your lifestyle is conducive to stressful and anxious thoughts stirring up in your mind, it is a big possibility that these thoughts will intensify and hinder other parts of your life.

It has been noticed, and scientifically proven, that people that are idle most of the time are more prone to anxiety. An idle mind is a breeding ground for negative thoughts.

This is why it is suggested to stay active throughout the day to help keep stress at bay. At the same time, people that have too much on their plate also experience high levels of stress. Every person’s circumstances are different.

Get up & Go!

Exercising is an extremely powerful tool in battling stress, anxiety as well as many other negative feelings we have in our lives. Not only does it liberate your body and open up the joints, exercise also releases hormones called endorphins in the body (also known as the ‘happy’ hormones).

This aids in stopping the stress hormones from getting released, leading to a healthier and happier lifestyle.

Doing the Things You Love Matter

In addition to supplements and stress management techniques, there are other simple ways of combating stress. Simply doing something you love will immensely reduce the stress you feel from day to day life.

If you feel anxious or tired beyond measure, take a walk in a park somewhere close to nature, or dance to some loud music in your house. Even reading light and interesting books can help you in more ways than you think.

Many people say, it all lies in the mind. Human beings are known for having great power over their own minds. One has to take control over their situation and do all that they can to alleviate their negative thoughts and feelings.

Granted that these problems are not things that you can ‘think away’, with the right kind of treatment, these techniques work wonders for minor cases that are not chronic. Doing something you’re fond of just might do the trick and make you feel much better than you did before.

What Do You Really Want to Do?

When it comes to determining what you really want to do with your life, always make sure it’s within your means.

Sometimes going after what you want to do means making some changes that might even be drastic. If you feel like you spend too much time at work, it might actually be beneficial for you to take some time off, or even go from full-time to part-time (if possible). Find a job in a lane that you are genuinely passionate or interested in.

You can even get involved in it with an extracurricular activity, like photography or playing guitar. All too often we get used to routines as well as how mundane they happen to become. This wears on us mentally, making us stressed out. As time passes, these feelings that drag you down will build up.

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While your current circumstances may be tough to deal with at this very moment, it’s always important to remember that this is not the future, but right now. The future is in your hands, it always has been.

Be aware of the “right now” and do what you need to do. If you keep waiting, you’ll only put it off until later. Why not do the things you need and use the future to wind down instead? While it may not be true all the time, a lot of this stress we experience is self-made­—to a certain extent. All too often we just sit there and wait for life to happen. That’s now how things work out if you want to be happy.

The thing is, you only feel stuck, so take control. And it’s easier to say “get over it” than it is to actually do it, but trying is worthwhile. Do things like meditate, make healthy decisions, go out on a jog sometimes, and don’t care if someone hears you singing your favorite song way too loud. Try to live life in the moment sometimes. It’s a guarantee that you’ll feel better about yourself when you do the things you love to do.

We get too stiff doing the same things all the time. Don’t feel bad treating yourself to a night out or doing special things for the ones you love. All that time spent being sad and disappointed can easily be turned into something positive.

It’s important to realize that when we lose grasp of what we care about the most, this is when we feel our unhappiest. Start paying attention to the things you like and the things you want to do, and see your life change before your eyes. Forget about those days of stress, do something you love. Why not? It’ll only make you happy.

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Additional Resources

Prioritizing our mental well-being is paramount in today’s fast-paced world. The digital age has redefined therapy and psychiatric care, making support more accessible than ever. To guide you towards a healthier state of mind, we’ve partnered with pioneering names in mental health.
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About the author

Keely
I'm an avid reader and love anything to do with mindfulness and mental health!

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