Find healthy ways to deal with stress

With family responsibilities, work deadlines and life’s unpredictability, stress is part of our culture. While a little short-term stress can be motivating, chronic stress takes its toll on our minds, bodies and overall sense of well-being.

April is Stress Awareness Month and mental health professionals have advice about how to identify and deal with stress to create more calm and peace. 

Identify stress triggers. Determine what makes your anxiety rise. It could be dealing with a family situation or stressful habits like procrastination. Whether it’s a big trigger, like a work review, or a small stressor, like paying bills, your body reacts to stress in specific ways. Identifying triggers is the first step to building new coping mechanisms. 

Practice stress reduction techniques. For some people, taking five deep breaths is enough to regulate the nervous system and regain a sense of calm. For others, guided practices like mindful walking, seated meditation and centering exercises can help. University of Utah Health offers a four-week course focused on Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction where participants learn how to develop awareness to improve health and happiness. Find more information at healthcare.utah.edu.

Get physical. Running, dancing, weight lifting, yoga, cycling and swimming are all proven ways to reduce stress. Movement releases endorphins that flood your brain with natural stress fighters. It doesn’t have to be a marathon. Just a 15-minute walk through the local park is enough movement to lower stress levels. 

Set Boundaries. Learning how to say “No” can be difficult, especially when it comes to loved ones, but setting boundaries allows you to stop overcommitting to work projects, family events or other activities that drain your energy. Setting boundaries isn’t about keeping others out, it’s about protecting your mental health. 

Find ways to connect with other people. Research shows that loneliness is associated with higher levels of stress so look for clubs or activities that pique your interest. Salt Lake County Library offers knitting and dance classes, beginning yoga and crafts. JustServe.org provides a list of organizations looking for volunteers. Local cities are looking for people to help staff events and programs. There are lots of ways to connect and try something new. 

Create healthy practices. Along with regular exercise, adopting a healthy diet and prioritizing sleep can bring big benefits when it comes to stress relief. Stress hormones can lead to overeating, which usually means consuming high-processed foods. Feeling overwhelmed also makes it hard to create nourishing meals. By having healthy pre-made meals or snacks on hand, the urge to eat unhealthy can be mitigated. Setting a strict bedtime and waking up early also helps rebalance the mind. 

Talk to a therapist. If stress feels overwhelming, find a trusted counselor who can help guide you back to a sense of peace. Professionals, like those at Sundance Behavioral Resources of Utah (310 E. 4500 South) in Murray, are available to offer emotional and mental support, especially when life feels out of control. Visit Sundancebehavioral.com to learn more about its services. 

Try transcranial magnetic stimulation. Clinics like NeuroHealth in South Jordan (10437 S. Temple Drive) use TMS to treat high levels of stress and anxiety. “TMS targets the mood regulation areas of the brain,” said NeuroHealth Clinic Manager Sophia Martial. “Studies suggest TMS can reduce symptoms of anxiety, creating lower levels of stress.” Find more information at Neurohealthutah.com.