While many parts of your life have improved since you have been in recovery, the stresses of daily life do not go away when you leave treatment. Stress is a normal and unavoidable part of life. It is important to recognize your stress and learn healthy coping skills to navigate through unplanned events in your life.
Stress can affect you in ways that you may not even recognize. It can compromise your immune system and affect your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. However, there are healthy coping skills that can decrease worry and guide you to live your best life.
In this article, you will learn healthy coping skills to manage your stress. You will learn how the body responds to worry and the importance of daily stress management.
The Body and Stress
Every person responds to stress differently. When a person experiences stress, the body responds in several ways. Hormones are released, veins constrict, and increased amounts of blood are sent to the major muscle groups. Research tells us that occasional stress is a normal coping mechanism. However, long-term stress can result in increased health issues.
While there is no way to prevent stress in daily life, everyone has a “stress reset button” that acts just as it sounds. Using relaxation methods and practicing mindfulness can provide you with a stress reset.
Sleep and Stress
It sounds so easy to get enough sleep. However, doing so can be tricky with all of life’s demands. If you are stressing out over small things, perhaps lack of sleep is the cause. When your body is sleep deprived, you are not thinking clearly, and your mood is altered. You may feel like you are on the brink of being angry or crying over small things. This is an indicator that more sleep is essential in your life.
Practice Self-Care
Taking time from your day to practice self-care through engaging in an activity that promotes overall well-being is essential to decrease stress. Self-care can be anything that you find calming and relaxing. For example, reading a good book or practicing yoga reduces stress and helps you to maintain balance in your recovery.
Set Boundaries
Sometimes when you are stressing out about small things, you struggle with setting boundaries. Perhaps you find yourself being a people pleaser and being the “yes” person. Having healthy boundaries in recovery is important for your overall wellness.
Boundaries will decrease your stress by helping you understand where your expectations end and other people’s begin. At times, stress can present itself because you don’t say no to things that do not benefit you. Creating boundaries during recovery can empower you and help you maintain a calm space within your mind.
Just Breathe
You have heard this time and time again. It is true; you can breathe your stress out. When you are relaxed, you breathe through your nose gently and smoothly. However, when you are under stress, breathing patterns become rapid, and sometimes you hold your breath. This can interrupt the flow of oxygen within the body, and you may feel as if you cannot catch your breath.
Focusing on controlling your breath will promote relaxation as well as decrease worry and anxiety. Engaging in a quick breathing exercise can quickly calm your mind and help you think more clearly.
Meditation
Spending just several minutes a day in meditation can increase your sense of inner calm. Plus, anyone can practice meditation. It is simple and does not cost a penny. Meditation has been around for thousands of years. Presently, it is frequently used for stress reduction and relaxation.
During meditation, you focus your mind and eliminate the clutter of thoughts that have caused worry. Your focus is on a state of being calm and relaxed. This process is known to create or intensify a state of relaxation and tranquility.
Meditation can help balance stressful moments in your life. You can also use this technique to refocus your thoughts on something positive.
Less Stress With Yoga
Yoga has been around for thousands of years and has recently become increasingly popular for stress management. There are many benefits to practicing yoga daily, including breathing, relaxation, clear-mindedness, connectivity, and exercise.
Yoga poses promote the release of endorphins, which are mood boosters. These hormones regulate how you feel. In addition, focusing your awareness on the here and now during yoga will boost your concentration and center your mind.
To see and feel the benefits of yoga, it is recommended that you set a routine and practice daily. Just ten minutes a day can make a world of difference.
Less Stress With Music
Music plays an essential role in recovery. Most people have a favorite band, artist, or song. You could be having a rough day; then you put your earbuds in, and you are smiling. Music has the power to decrease stress and anxiety and even help with pain management.
Every person experiences some form of stress in their lives, whether big or small; stress comes in all shapes and sizes. However, your life does not have to be stressful. You have the tools to create balance within your life. In your recovery, you have acknowledged that some aspects of life are out of your hands. With this knowledge, you can practice stress management to maintain peace. No matter where you are in your recovery journey, you can take time out of your day and create a calm zone. The Guest House understands your stress. We are here to help support you wherever you are in your recovery journey. Call us at (855) 483-7800 today.
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