Natural Ways to Deal with Stress Without Resorting to Drugs or Alcohol
As we get older, we have more responsibilities and new roles to fulfill. Getting a promotion or starting new business is an exciting new prospect in life, but the stress that comes with it usually distracts us from concentrating. Getting stressed 
over problems is just natural, but we must learn how to deal with it so as to not let it interfere with our problems. Here are some tips in living a stress-free life:
- Be organized. This might sound too simple, but just having a neat and clean workplace helps in coping with stress. When your things are disorganized and all over the place, you tend to forget where you put them and even misplace them, thus, giving you even more problems and yes, stress. Assigning a particular place for every item not only makes it easy for you to locate the things that you need, but also gives you that sense that everything is in the right place.
- Manage a schedule and stick to it. Aside from getting organized in your environment, you should organize your time as well. Time is gold, as they say, and wasting time can also be wasting money and opportunity. In keeping a schedule, you will be able to see what you need to prioritize and finish first and identify the things that can be done in another day. This helps you focus on the things that you really need. Once you’ve done your priorities, you’ll feel fulfilled and no longer feel guilty in indulging yourself with life’s simple pleasures.
- Keep in contact with your best friends. It really helps when you have a friend or two that you can talk to and who will support you in your endeavors. It is important that when experiencing problems, you can have an outlet where you can express what you feel. In this way, you can get rid of negative thoughts and be able to identify what needs to be done. Having friends that support you also makes you feel secure and happy.
- Be spiritual. Studies show that people who regularly pray or meditate are more capable of dealing with stress than those who don’t. This is because they are able to remove stressful thoughts from their mind and are able to relax and release tension from their body. You don’t have to be religious or join a new religion. Many people search out things like Kabbalah since it’s spiritual but you don’t have to change your religion. Just by relaxing or doing some simple breathing exercises can help in releasing the stress that you feel.
- Exercise several times per week. Exeercise is one of the most important things you can do to “blow of steam” and reduce the stress hormones circulating through your body.
- Live a healthy lifestyle. Aside from maintaining a healthy diet and exercise routine, it is also important that you get enough sleep and occasionally pamper yourself after a hard’s day work. Don’t think that just because you’re stressed, it only has emotional effects in your body. Stress actually increases cortisol levels in your body, and elevated levels of cortisol can lead to adverse effects. It would really help if you take adaptogens, which helps in lowering cortisol levels. Adaptogens are natural and effective.
Stress can really be a hindrance in anything we do. Hopefully, these tips can help you sweat it out and focus on the things that really matter to you. I’ve found that Relax Already helps my patients and I cope better with stressful days.
Dr David M. Spitz is the founder and clinic director of the Chiropractic Health Center of Bristol, located in Bristol, CT. Since 1982, he has treated thousands of patients for various conditions ranging from neck and back pain, to migraine headaches. He specializes in treating patients who have suffered whiplash injuries and/or back injuries in a motor vehicle accident.
Dr Spitz was a volunteer EMT-I and a lieutenant for several years at the Burlington Volunteer Fire Department. He has lectured throughout CT on various topics including, chiropractic, stress management, headaches and preventing back injury in the workplace.
