We all know that eating right, getting enough sleep, and exercising, are good for us, but how good for us is it really?

The answer is, extremely. When our life seems out of control and there isn’t a balance between juggling that crazy workload, chaotic family, and financial burdens, we can be led to addiction. As human beings, we are programmed to look for a way to “numb out”. A way to take our minds away from those things that cause us said stress or pain.

Finding the Perfect Formula

Not everyone will be driven towards addiction when they are overwhelmed and stressed, but statistics say that one in five people get stressed on a daily basis. That’s a lot of people walking around with stress.

It’s important for us as individuals to have a way to alleviate that stress. A way to “let it go” if you will! It’s also important to make ideal connections outside of work. To form friendships and relationships with people that peak our interests and engage us in other aspects of our life.

So what are some ways that we can release our pent-up stress and worry, and create balance within our lives? There isn’t a hard and fast rule for things that will bring comfort to everyone. Comfort isn’t one size fits all. The key is to find those things that do bring us some relief and build upon them.

Here are a few ideas of things that tend to be a great outlet for all that unnecessary negativity.

Yoga – Yoga has been proven to lower stress and studies have linked regular yoga practice to lower inflammatory protein levels that are linked to stress.

Meditation – Another great way to empty our mind and body of stressful thoughts. Focusing on your own breathing, chant or in some cases, prayer helps us focus the negativity away from the mind and out of the body.

Taking Care of Yourself – Often overlooked and undervalued, taking care of our body is a major part of keeping your physically healthy foundation alive and well. Engaging in things that make us feel better and raise our body’s endorphin levels, which are linked to having a more positive mindset.

Commit to Better Sleep – When we are stressed, sleep should be at the top of our priority list. When we are not sleeping well or enough, we hinder our body’s natural restorative process. This can lead to poor concentration, memory difficulties and in severe cases affect our overall physical health.

Positive Social Groups – Surrounding ourselves with positive and encouraging people is a great thing. Positive interaction provides accountability which formulates into healthy and thriving relationships.

Make It Work

However you choose to go about relieving stress is up to you, but it’s something that should be incorporated into our daily lives religiously; in order to give our best selves a foot forward combating against the debilitating effects stress can have on us. If you want to learn more about coping with stress, especially if you have had a previous addiction, contact us at anytime.

~Paul