Chronic stress is the response to emotional pressure suffered for a prolonged period of time in which an individual perceives he or she has little or no control. It involves an endocrine system response in which corticosteroids are released.
We understand that managing chronic stress can be a daunting task, but it is vital for your overall health and well-being. Chronic stress is the result of prolonged exposure to stressors such as work, finances, relationships, and health issues. If left unmanaged, chronic stress can lead to serious physical and mental health problems.
At our website, we have compiled 4 powerful strategies to help you eliminate chronic stress and improve your quality of life. These strategies are simple, effective, and can be incorporated into your daily routine.
1- Changing your mindset
Adapting well to stress begins with your mindset. Most people are focusing too much on their stress and worry about all the uncertainties in their life. To thrive under stress you must have confidence that you can overcome the hurdle. Developing prayers and affirmative statements that instill hope can infuse you with new found energy that helps you think more creatively and innovately about the unique challenge.
One advanced strategy to help you overcome the mental hurdles would be anchoring on previous successes. We have all had success at certain times in our life and if you can recall a great success you had that gave you a great emotional charge than you can anchor in empowering emotions. Simply take time to visualize and re-experience the success and the emotional charge and then anchor it into your physical body through a certain posturism or physical activity. An example would be to clench your fist or draw your shoulders back as you experience the emotional charge.
Repeat this visualization and activity again and again until you can recall the emotional charge immediately when you do the physical activity that is anchored to it. This gives you incredible mental-emotional leverage that you can use anytime you feel over-burdened or stressed about a life circumstance.
2- Challenge your body
High-intensity fitness enhances our ability to thrive under stress. When you train at 100 percent of your maximal intensity level for short periods of time – it stimulates the body to work more efficiently at those very high rates. High intensity training increases one’s reserve capacity or the ability to effectively raise heart rate and breathing rates very quickly and efficiently.Stress Busters
Individuals with lower reserve capacity are more at risk for anxiety attacks, passing out and hyperventilating. Improving reserve capacity enhances an individual’s ability to adapt to stressful events with greater ease and composure.
Sprints and other high-intensity work has been shown to improve oxygen uptake better than endurance training. The body adapts to intense training by adding new capillaries, developing stronger heart and lung tissue, adding more energy producing mitochondria and increasing the bodies’ tolerance to high levels of lactic acid accumulation.
3- Using adaptogenic herbs
Herbal adaptogens are especially good at helping the body to modulate stress levels. They do this by modulating the production of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. Some of the best adaptogenic herbs are holy basil, ashwaghanda, ginseng and astragalus.
One of the key components, that adaptogenic herbs offer, is their ability to lower and stabilize cortisol levels. High cortisol drains the precursors to major hormones such as testosterone, progesterone and estrogen. With less than adequate raw materials, the body becomes hormone deficient. This process rapidly accelerates the aging process and makes an individual’s life miserable.
4-Gratitude Practice
Gratitude practice involves focusing on the positive things in your life and expressing gratitude for them. It helps you shift your focus from the negative to the positive and improve your mood.
To practice gratitude, write down three things you are grateful for every day. They can be small things such as a sunny day or a good cup of coffee, or big things such as your family and friends. Take a moment to savor the feeling of gratitude and appreciation.
In conclusion, chronic stress is a serious issue that can have a negative impact on your health and well-being. However, with the strategies we have provided you can eliminate chronic stress and improve your quality of life. Incorporate these strategies into your daily routine and notice the positive changes they bring.
