10 Useful Things You Should Know About Your Stress Level

How Can You Measure Your Stress Level?

How often do you practice the power of appreciation and an “attitude of gratitude” throughout the day? Do you practice a stress management method or meditation? When do you feel “stressed out”?

Stress is your response to unusual demands made on you.

You can respond positively or negatively, which is distress.  Because the effects of your stress level depend on your response to the demands, you may often be your own worst enemy.

Stress causes the secretion of hormones in your hypothalamus (part of your brain stem).  Then the pituitary gland stimulates the production of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH).  This creates a chain reaction.

The adrenals release cortisol.  This is where it can get ugly.  Cortisol activates insulin which encourages the desire for high-fat high-sugar foods.

Ongoing stress without relief can cause a host of health repercussions.

Here are Ten Simple Ways to Lower Your Stress Level:

1.  Ask for help.  It’s OK for you to ask family and friends to help you out.  You do not get a Super Man/Woman award for trying to do it all.  In fact, you may be so overwhelmed that staying committed to your healthy lifestyle is much harder. You need a support team to help you along the way.

2.  Keep exercising. Exercising can be tough when you feel as though you are being pulled in a thousand different directions.  As you are aware, exercise is a big stress reliever.  Even if you can’t keep up with your normal exercise routine, go for a quick walk or stair climbing.

3.  Trust.  In Stephen Covey’s book Speed of Trust, he says people must be able to trust before they feel it. Why trust? The simple often overlooked fact is this: work gets done with and through people. The book offers a practical look at exactly how trust functions in every transaction and every relationship.  From the most personal to the broadest, most indirect interaction. When your trust you rest well.  Sleep and rest help us recharge our batteries.  This is when our body does repair work we need so much.

4.  Breathe.  The act of deep breathing is simple and it can do wonders in helping relieve the stress and tension we hold in our bodies.  Three short minutes of concentrated breathing can help lower stress levels and release tension and anxiety.

What Are You Doing to Keep Your Stress Level Down As Well As Role Modeling to Your Family?

5.  Be sure to eat. Remember that food is fuel for the body.  It is what gives us energy especially when our mealtime schedule is off.  Sugary junk food from the vending machine can leave you drained.  So, you can bring healthy snacks as a great option.  I keep nuts and protein bars in a special pack along with pure bottled water for those times when your schedule gets thrown off.

For More Proven Facts on Stress, Eating go to: Is Stress Making You Eat More? 

6.  Talk with others.  While it may seem, you have an overwhelming situation, when sharing your concerns with others you may find comfort that others may have had a similar experience.

7.  What does your “Little Voice” saying?  This is by far one of the most difficult areas to deal with.  How you respond to a given event has a lot to do with your personal mental conditioning and emotional strength.    If your emotions are weak, the negative little voice is going to win.  It will say things like, “Back off.  I told you not to do that.”  This is when your stress level goes up and keeps you agitated.

For Better Stress Levels…

8.  The Attitude of Gratitude.  Focus every day on three things you are grateful for.  Acknowledge what you have done each day/week/month. Instead of comparing yourself with others, give yourself credit for the big and small things you have done.  Improving your mood studies show that expressing gratitude leads to better physical health.

9.  It’s OK to let things slide.  I love an immaculate home.  However, when circumstances present themselves (which is often in life) I accept that there is only so much time in a day.  It’s OK to not get EVERYTHING done.  It will still be there when things settle down.

10.  Recognize when you are being inefficient.  Do you get stuck answering e-mails for two hours at the expense of higher-value items?  Ask yourself, what’s the ultimate outcome that I want, and will this achieve it?

I am Shirley Noah, an internationally known stress expert and entrepreneur. I would love to connect further with you to help you improve your health and wellbeing.  If you are interested in learning more about worry and stress, please take a look at my popular 8 days, FREE E-course, Worry Journal.

Please share this article with your friends. Everyone is affected by stress that’s why we need to turn stress into our friend.

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