5 Quick Tips to Help You Manage Stress and Anxiety

We can all experience stress now and again, and how do we manage anxiety and stress and not lose our mind, family or friends? Stress can come from many sources in our day to day activity and one the biggest culprits is our online connections with friends and social media that demands our attention almost constantly. How can you cope with stress and anxiety? What steps can you take to live a normal healthy life with minimal anxiety?

5 Quick Tips to Help Manage Stress and Anxiety

1. Movement and Exercise

Incorporating exercise into your routine can be daunting but very rewarding, if you get started. Getting started with movement and exercise is over half the problem. However, exercise can reduce stress and anxiety with many benefits. You not only make your heart, brain, and immunity health better, you also increase your endorphins that generate a positive and happy outlook on life. Exercise is one of the best ways to help eliminate stress and anxiety. It does not have to be an hour-long workout. It can be 10 minutes here and 10 minutes there to increase your activity level. You will be amazed by the reward of just walking. Whether around your block or your dining table, incorporating movement is essential to reducing everyday stress and increasing your life expectancy. 

2. Relaxation and Meditation

If you are struggling with a family gathering or your to-do list is getting overwhelming, you can quickly relax and do meditation to lower your stress hormone. By taking a deep breath and focusing on one thing to clear the mind, you can lower your stress and face the business of the day with ease and finesse. By decluttering the mind, you can relax and face the day that once seemed exhausting and impossible. Meditation is a very effective tool to calm the body and mind to endure stressful situations.

3. Breathing Exercises

You breathe every day, every minute and every second. Research shows that taking a deep breath is the best way to lower your stress and anxiety almost instantly. A big deep breath sends a message to the brain to relax and calm down which in turn sends a message to the body to relax and calm down. Your breathing changes when you are stressed and becomes quick and shallow. When you relax, you breathe through the nose and take longer and deeper breaths which triggers the nervous system to tell your body to relax and unwind. Signals to the body range from lowering your blood pressure and heart rate to increased energy and clarity of the mind. 

4. Weighted Blanket

Weighted blankets are great for many people to reduce stress and anxiety. A weighted blanket immolates being hugged or embraced to signal the body you are cared for and comforted for and then you can unwind. Many believe the weighted blanket can reduce stress and help you sleep and relax in stressful situations. Weighted blankets can put your autonomic nervous system (fight or flight) to rest and you can be calm. 

5. Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy simply uses natural scents to stimulate the brain to relax. For example, lavender is known to trigger relaxation in the mind. Many people will put a few essential oil drops on a pillow case or a towel and rest with the scent to unwind and relax. Oftentimes aromatherapy goes hand in hand with mediation too. Many use diffusers to have the scent in the air in their home to stimulate relaxation and calmness. 

At the end of the day stress can wreck your body and cause many issues both physically and mentally. It is essential to figure out how to manage your stress levels to stay calm and handle situations rationally. If you would like more guidance on managing stress and aging gracefully, contact Ann Jamison at Senior Living Options. She is experienced with aging adults and how to find the best living arrangements for your parents at each chapter of the aging process. She has been a caregiver and has expert advice to help you have a positive experience while helping mom or dad so they can manage their stress and anxiety effectively and peacefully.

Author: Ann Jamison

Ann Jamison is an experienced senior advisor who has successfully worked with hundreds of families to help them find the best care and home-like environment for themselves or their loved ones. Prior to launching Senior Living Options, Ann was an eldercare advisor for a national placement agency and served as sales director at a senior living community. Thanks to her 25-year career in advertising sales and marketing, Ann is able to discern between hype and reality for her clients. Ann recognizes that there are objective factors that need to be weighed when making a life-changing decision, but she can also assess the important softer attributes by getting to know her clients and by using the gut instincts that can only come through extended experience.