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Why Stress is Negative:

Stress is a part of life. We will be faced with many times of stress throughout our lifetimes, so we must learn how to deal with these situations effectively. Stress can be harmful, both physically and mentally - examples of physical stress include having too much to do, not getting enough sleep, or having a poor diet. Mental stress can be caused by many factors such as worrying over an exam, grades, or family troubles.

In response to stress, our bodies automatically increase blood pressure, heart rate, respiration and blood flow to the muscles. This response is preparing the body to react quickly to a high-pressure situation. However, if you are stressed frequently and you don’t make adjustments to relieve stress, stress can threaten both your health and well-being.

Tips for Reducing or Controlling Stress:

• Eat Balanced Meals – inadequate nutrition (eating the same foods each day or not enough meals) is harmful. You need variety and balance to give your body the vitamins and nutrients it needs to fight sickness, disease, and stress.
• Eat Small, Frequent Meals and Snacks – this will keep your blood sugar and energy levels steady. Not eating enough can lead to fatigue, low concentration, and headaches.
• Limit Sweets and Sugary Foods – too much sugar encourages over-eating. Limit soda to one 12-ounce drink or less per day. Skip snack foods such as potato chips, cakes, and ice cream. Try snacking on low-fat yogurt, fresh fruit, nuts, trail mix, popcorn, whole wheat pretzels, frozen juice bars, oatmeal, soups, or a small sandwich.
• Eat More Vegetables and High Fiber Foods – vegetables and high fiber foods such as oatmeal, whole grain breads and pastas, nuts, and beans offer many health benefits. Eat these foods and replenish the vitamins and minerals that stress can drain out of you
• Drink Water – drink at least 8 cups of fresh water each day. To increase your water intake, try carrying around a water bottle to sip on throughout the day or replace beverages such as soda and juice with water.
• Limit Caffeine Intake – caffeine will give you immediate energy but causes a drop in energy later on in the day. Caffeine can also dehydrate you and interfere with regular sleeping patterns. Limit intake of coffee and other food and drinks with caffeine.
• Exercise – regular exercise is a good way to relieve stress. 20-30 minutes of physical activity daily will benefit the body and mind!

Stress Reduction Techniques

Relaxation: Stress increases muscle tension, which causes anxiety. By relaxing your  muscles, you can help to reduce your heart rate and blood pressure. In order to help reduce stress and anxiety you can use the following relaxation technique - tense  individual muscles or muscle groups for several seconds and then release the tension, allowing the muscles to gradually relax; this process can be repeated as needed.

Deep Breathing: Proper breathing is essential for good mental and physical health. The next time you feel stressed, take a few moments to practice deep breathing. Do this by getting into a comfortable seated position and taking deep measured breaths (inhale while counting up from 1 to 4 and then exhale while counting down from 4 to 1) and repeat numerous times. Deep breathing assists in relaxation by increasing the amount of oxygen that circulates through the body. 

Visualization: Sometimes we become tense and overwhelmed by thinking about all the things we need to get done or what we didn't get done. When we do this, we are giving ourselves negative messages which can stress out our bodies and our mind. Instead, we can use the power of imagination to refocus our minds on positive images. We can do this by getting into a comfortable position, closing our eyes, and visualizing a place associated with safety and relaxation. It doesn't matter what you visualize, as long as it's calming to you. As your mind relaxes so does your body.