Dealing With Stress - #MINDME

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We all experience it from time to time, no matter the stage in life. Some of us experience it more than others and at different times in our lives. Some may be reactive and some may become proactive. No matter the situation we all deal with……STRESS! That’s right, at home, work, school and in public. Let’s face it, we live in a stressful environment. However, how we choose to cope with stress makes the biggest difference.

Excessive stress can interfere with your productivity and performance, impact your physical and emotional health, and may affect your relationships and home life. Let’s not allow stress to win! There are steps you can take to protect yourself from the damaging effects of stress, improve your job satisfaction, and bolster your well-being in and out of the workplace.

Now some stress may not be a bad thing. It can keep you on your toes and sometimes can be rewarding when you push yourself to the limit. Then there’s the stress we need to avoid, for example, chronic work stress, if stress on the job is interfering with your work performance, health, or personal life, it’s time to take action. Some warning signs your dealing with too much stress (1)

• Feeling anxious, irritable, or depressed
  
• Apathy, loss of interest in work
• Problems sleeping
• Trouble concentrating
  
• Muscle tension or headaches
• Stomach problems
• Social withdrawal
• Loss of sex drive
• Using alcohol or drugs to cope

You might wonder what’s causing your stress. Some stress related triggers may be associated with:

• Fear of being Laid Off or loss of Job
• Increasing deadlines
• Increase work load with little to no increase in pay or promotion
• Not feeling supported
• Lack of Finances
• Pressure to Perform at the highest level at all times

What could you do to help alleviate stress? Well here are just some tips to follow.

1. Get Support – Grab your buddy and vent. Studies show people who have a trustworthy friend to vent to, has less stress over their lives. 
   
2. Exercise and Eat Right- Working out releases happy hormones called Serotonin. The optimal amount of exercise needed to enhance serotonin synthesis in the brain is 3 hours weekly, or 30 minutes most days of the week. Nutritional food groups with tryptophan also helps improve the serotonin levels in our brain. Some foods to consider are: (6;7)
   

• Eggs
• Fish
• Seafood of All Kinds
• Cheese
• Meats of All Kinds
• Poultry
• Seeds
• Soy
• Oats
• Chickpeas
• Banana
• Beets

    3.   Avoid nicotine. Smoking when you're feeling stressed may seem calming, but nicotine is a powerful stimulant, leading to higher, not lower, levels of anxiety

   4.  Don’t Skip Sleep! Skimping on sleep leaves interferes with your daytime productivity, creativity, problem-solving skills, and ability to focus. Try effective Yoga Techniques  to help with stress.  

   5.  Take Time to Recharge- Relax, get a massage, and spend time with friends and family. Whatever you enjoy doing, take time for yourself and do it. This will allow you to reboot your mood and come back stronger!
 
At the end of the day, know life happens and we can never overcome all stress. Just keep in mind, everything happens for a reason. So pick your head up and stay strong, and know everything will be okay!


Tag someone below and say, WE GOT THIS!!!!
 
 
Sources:
https://www.livecareer.com/quintessential/managing-job-stress (1)
http://www.umm.edu/health/medical/ency/articles/tryptophan#ixzz3LeMLq000 (6)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tryptophan#Dietary_sources (7)