As we mentioned in a previous post, May is Mental Health Month and what better time to talk about stress and how you can take steps today to better manage it.
When stress is ignored or not addressed it can become chronic and interfere with your relationships, job productivity, recovery and overall physical and mental health.
According to Mental Health America (MHA), the key to coping with stress is to first determine your personal tolerance for stressful situations and to learn how to accept or change these stressful situations whenever possible.
Your next step: Try one of these suggestions adopted from MHA to keep stress at bay:
Make smart habits stick. Do your best to adopta healthy lifestyle – one that includes adequate sleep, a healthy diet and exercise and work/play balance. This will help your mind and body better handle any stress that comes your way.
Be realistic. This means learning your limits and when you need to say “no” for your own mental well-being. Along the same lines, being realistic means understanding that no one’s perfect – and that’s okay.
Visualize. This simple technique will allow you to use your imagination to see any solutions to help you better manage a stressful situation.
Meditate. A brief 10-minute session can do wonders to help you clear your mind and keep you calm.
Exercise. Strive for 30 minutes ofphysical activity per day – and don’t hesitate to break this time into smaller chunks throughout the day.
Hobbies. Carve out time for creativity, sports or play – or just something that you enjoy and that allows you to take a break from daily stressors.
Share your feelings. You don't need to cope with stress alone, so be sure to turn to trusted friends and family for support and guidance.
Health and Wellness and Addiction TreatmentNorthStar Transitions offers clients general wellness programming so they can develop healthy habits and routines that can be used during and after addiction treatment. To learn more about our programs and services, call today: 303-625-6335.
