Stress is something that people have to deal with every day. Even people who think that they have their lives in perfect order tend to get stressed out from time to time.
The key to not letting the stress get to you is to know what to do to reduce it.
What Does Stress Do To the Mind and Body
Stress can make you feel agitated and angry at times. If you are stressed out often, stress can have negative effects on your body and your mind.
A few ways that stress can affect your body include:
• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Difficulty sleeping
• Muscle tension
• Nausea
• Chest pain
Stress can also affect your mood and behavior.
A few issues that you might experience if you are frequently stressed out include:
• Restlessness
• Lack of focus and motivation
• Anger or irritability
• Depression and sadness
• Anxiety
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Angry outbursts
• Overeating or undereating
• Self-medicating using drugs or alcohol
Common Treatments For Stress
There are a few common treatments for people who find that they are often stressed out.
A few examples of common treatments include:
• Exercise
• Meditation and deep breathing exercise
• Spending time with family and friends
• Medication
• Taking up a hobby
Taking up a hobby is one of the most effective treatments to relieve stress.
It is important, however, that you choose the right hobby. There are certain hobbies that are better for relieving stress than others.
1. Do Puzzles
Puzzles are a great way to relieve stress. When you are working on a puzzle, you aren’t on a deadline.
Also, you aren’t in competition with anyone. You can just sit at the table putting your puzzle together in your own time.
When you finish the puzzle, you will experience a huge sense of accomplishment before you start your next puzzle.
2. Coloring
Contrary to what you think, coloring isn’t just for kids anymore. Today, you can buy adult coloring books.
The pictures have more detail than a child’s book and a picture will take you longer to color but it can be very relaxing.
Many manufacturers call their adult coloring books, ‘therapeutic coloring books’ because they are designed to reduce stress.
3. Read a Book
Reading is a great way to relieve stress. When you are reading, you will be able to follow the life and adventures of the characters in the books.
This will give you a chance to get out of your own head and to be able to take a break from your own problems.
You can visit your local library to check out a book or you can grab your phone or tablet and you will have access to thousands of books.
4. Paint By Number
When you were a kid, there is a chance that you did paint by numbers. As an adult, you should consider taking it up again. It is a great way to spend your free time and relieve some stress.
Best of all, you don’t need to be an artist to create an amazing picture.
5. Take Up Running
Exercise is a great stress reliever, therefore, you should take up running.
Not only will running get out some of your nervous energy, but it will also get you out into nature. When you are out on the open road with nothing but your thoughts and your earbuds, you can work through some of the issues that are causing you stress on your own time.
6. Baking
When you are feeling stressed, you should try baking something. This doesn’t mean opening up a tube of cookie dough and throwing it in the oven.
You should find some great recipes online and bake from scratch. Not only is it a great way to relieve stress, but you will also be rewarded when your delicious treats are done.
7. Take Up Knitting
Knitting can be very relaxing. If you don’t know how to knit, don’t worry.
There are videos online and tutorials that will help you learn. When you have it down, you can start knitting gifts for mothers-to-be, sweaters for your family, and mittens for your friends.
Best of all you can relax and relieve stress while you are knitting.
8. Adopt a Pet
Pets can be very therapeutic and they can relieve stress. If you aren’t ready for a pet or if you have never owned one, adopting a dog could cause you to be even more stressed out. You can start with a low maintenance pet such as a cat, a hamster, or a guinea pig.
When you have a living thing to take care of it can give you purpose and make you feel better. These things can greatly reduce your stress level.
While stress is usually a part of life, it doesn’t mean that you need to live with it. There are several hobbies that are not only fun, they can also reduce your stress level greatly.
