What Is Stress?
Stress, in everyday terms, is a feeling that people have when they are overloaded and struggling to cope with demands. These demands can be related to finances, work, relationships, and other situations, but anything that poses a real or perceived challenge or threat to a person's well-being can cause stress. The symptoms can be both physical and psychological; causing things such as high blood pressure, the slowing down of the digestive system and immune system, muscle tension, a heightened state of alertness leading to insomnia. High stress levels over long periods of time could cause irreversible effects to your body such as heart attacks and strokes.
​
Actions such as laughter and the practice of zen help relieve stress by relaxing your muscles and relieving your body of the stress hormones. Keeping your mind and body in shape by learning healthy habits such as time management skills and lifestyle tips that will help decrease stress levels long term.
The Benefits of Laughter
Laughter is said to be the best medicine when it comes to relieving stress. When you laugh, stress hormones are released including cortisol, epinephrine (adrenaline), dopamine, and growth hormone.
Laughing increase one's heart rate, improving circulation, which results in a relaxing feeling. Many people experience depression as a result from high stress. Laughter can help lessen your depression and anxiety and may make you feel happier.
​
The Benefits of Time Management
Have you ever felt as if you had too many tasks to do, but not enough time to do it? Or are you a procrastinator and are always leaving your task for last minute? Being able to manage your time and your tasks is a vital part of managing your stress. Time management includes finding ways to work effectively so that you can maximize your time in your day. One's ability to monitor their progress means one will stay much calmer throughout the project's course. By staying on task and working efficiently one will be able to complete tasks more efficiently, ultimately stressing less about one's work load.
Additional Resources:
The Benefits of Health
Keeping a healthy lifestyle in times of stress not only lower the impact of the harmful effects that long term stress can have on the body, such as heart disease, but it regulates the body functions that stress effects. Eating healthy and exercising release endorphins in your body, combating the negative excess of cortisol running through your body due to stress, keeping you happy and healthy.
The Benefits of Zen
Zen meditation is an ancient Buddhist tradition that dates back to the Tang Dynasty in 7th century China. It focuses on grounding one's mind and solving core problems, leaving one focused and calm. It has shown to lower blood pressure, improve sleep, reduce anxiety and improve one’s immune system. Zen techniques are easy to practice and meant to help one with long term problems.
