Stress and tension are part of most people’s lives and can threaten your health in many ways. Stress can come from problems at work, family issues, financial difficulties, and poor health. The way you manage stress has a lot to do with your mental, emotional, and physical health. The following are some ways that you can manage the stress in your life:

Ø Understand where your stress is coming from and work toward eliminating it or at least reducing it

Ø Take a close look at your life and see where you can make changes whether it’s at work, at home, or your health

Ø Find ways to relax such as a massage, deep breathing, or meditating on your favorite Bible scriptures

Ø Incorporate physical activity into your lifestyle.

Ø Practice time management.  Put your tasks into a priority list.  When you make your list take into account yourself, your family, and your job.  Using a check list will give you satisfaction when you complete a task.

Ø Eat a healthy and balanced diet.  Avoid sugar, fats, tobacco, caffeine, and alcohol as all of these items will put a strain on the way your body copes with stress.

Ø Make sure that you get enough sleep and rest.

Ø Talk with someone if there are things that are bothering you.  This can include friends, family, professional Christ centered counseling and support groups.

Ø Get out there and volunteer!  Helping others can give you a sense of purpose.

Ø Take some personal time.  This can include reading a book, watching a movie, listening to music, or any other personal time that you enjoy.

Ø Practice anger management.  If you feel that you have problems dealing with anger find a support group that you can join. Many local churches offer programs which are even better because they are Christ centered.

Ø Take a vacation, no matter how short a time you can afford to get away

Ø Don’t take on too many tasks at one time.  Learn to pace yourself.

Ø Don’t try to be perfect in everything that you do

Ø Try not to be too critical of others

Ø Laugh whenever you can, even at yourself now and then.

Action steps for today…

When your body is under stress it will adversely affect your health and can make everyday living difficult to enjoy.

Begin today to practice some of the stress reducers above and work towards reducing the stress in your life.

Notice when stress and tension is beginning to accumulate in your body. For example, consider it a warning sign when your face, neck, and jaw begin to tense. When you notice this happening, stop immediately and practice deep breathing and try to relax your entire body. If you catch it in time, you can avoid some of the negative effects, such as headaches.

And if you can, walk away from stressful situations and begin to immediately think about something that relaxes you. 

I welcome your comments, suggestions, and questions so go ahead and leave your comments –I’d love to hear from you. Also, if you’d like for me to cover a topic in more detail or cover a topic that I have not talked about yet, just let me know.

It’s important for you to know that this blog was created for you.  The goal is to build a community of people helping people. So if you would like to share your knowledge on a health and fitness related topic, just leave your comments. 

Although the information in this blog will benefit people of all ages, this blog is dedicated to over 40 fitness, so I’d especially love to hear from those who are over 40.

Be Organic God’s Way!

Edwin

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