Did you know that a recent survey shows that stress and anxiety levels reached an all-time high in 2020? It was discovered that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a 93% increase in the rate of people dealing with stress and anxiety between January to September 2020.
Thankfully 2020 is coming to a close and we can finally relax and release all the stress we built up throughout the year. It’s time to spend time with family and friends, properly socially distanced of course, and get into the holiday spirit!
- Spending time with your loved ones: Spending quality time with your friends and family is a natural stress reliever. Luckily, during the holiday season, there’s enough time to spend with your loved ones. Be sure to keep in mind proper social distancing protocol to make sure everyone remains safe. When you’re feeling down, it is always good to talk it out with a friend or a family; as is often said, a problem shared is a problem halfed.
- Laughter: Watch funny videos, read books, and surround yourself with people that make you laugh. Hearty laughter releases endorphins, which helps not only reduce stress and anxiety, but aids in improving your general mental health. Good laughter help can also help boost your immune system.
- Music: Listening to music has a relaxing effect and helps calm your nerves; by reducing stress, it can positively impact your health. There’s an abundance of classical musical music available to help produce that calming effect by lowering blood pressure and reducing stress-causing hormones.
- Exercising: Exercising creates physical stress that can help counter the mental stress you are under, so by exercising, you can maintain both your physical and psychological health. You do not need to partake in heavy lifting, but something as simple as a morning running routine, dancing, and even yoga reduces your stress hormones and helps you sleep better.
- Eating right: Maintaining a proper diet helps to improve your general health. Studies have shown that high amounts of caffeine from tea, coffee, and energy drinks increases stress levels and anxiety. Therefore, these drinks should be consumed in moderation. It also helps to infuse your diet with many fruits and vegetables and reduce your intake of processed and fatty foods that can hurt your mental and physical health.
- Better sleeping habits: One prevalent cause of stress is lack of sleep. The inability to sleep properly at night reduces productivity and makes it difficult for you to function properly the following day. Ideally, you want to ensure you get about 7-8 hours of sleep per night. Practicing good sleeping habits, like reducing alcohol intake before bed and listening to soothing music, can help you sleep better as well.
If you are experiencing mental health issues or battling severe anxiety issues, we recommend speaking to someone or getting advice from an expert. Our doors are always open; you can walk into any one of our clinics in the Bronx or contact us at https://www.westchestermedicalhealthcare.com to be sure to get the help you deserve.
