Managing daily stress

Life can be hard. With work, school and family sometimes daily tasks can be a lot to handle and you may become stressed.
Stress is your body’s reaction to a physical, mental or emotional challenge. Stress can raise blood pressure, heart rate and blood sugar levels. Learning how to deal with stress can help you live a happier, healthier life.

Five ways to manage daily stress:
• Breathe: You do it every day but breathing calms us down when we are feeling stressed. Practice breathing slower and deeper. Breathe in for four seconds, hold your breath for four seconds, and exhale for four seconds. Repeat until you feel calm.
• Get active: Exercise of any kind is good for stress. Moving your body helps you produce feel-good hormones called endorphins. Endorphins improve your mood and confidence and help you take on the day.
• Rest: Slow down, take a break. Rest is important for your mental health and stress. Remember that adults need seven or more hours of sleep a night.
• Eat well: When we are stressed, we sometimes forget to take care of our bodies. Eating at the right times and eating healthy foods keep your brain and body happy through the day.
• Talk to someone: Sometimes we can’t speak with our family or friends about our stress. A counselor or support group in your community is a place where you can feel safe speaking about stress.

If you are having a hard time managing stress, ask your primary care provider to refer you to the behavioral health team. If you or someone you know is in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988.