If your household is anything like ours, we are always running around and have a day full of activities that MUST happen and we make it happen. I know you guys can relate to this scenario. Managing stress and stressful events in our life and marriage is so important to the our mental health but also the health of the marriage.
I had the pleasure of interviewing stress expert, speaker and writer, Dr. Pete Sulack founder of Unhealthy Anonymous – a wellness support program that provides tools for healthier living. I really wanted to hear some practical ways to manage stress not only for Valentine’s Day but for anytime in our life and marriage. Dr. Sulack shared with us three practical ways to manage stress.
3 ways to manage stress:
Take Care of Your Body. Getting candy and sweets on Valentine’s Day is traditional, but sugar puts oxidative stress on your body. You’re not doing yourself any favors to indulge on this day. High sugar and carbohydrate diets have been linked to diabetes, heart disease, and dementia; including Alzheimer’s. While this day will come and go, your body and the toll these sweet treats may have on it will linger much longer.
Instead of heading to a restaurant, have a low-key dinner at home. Make a date out of it by choosing a recipe, shopping for ingredients and cooking together. Afterwards, run a warm bath in Epsom salts, baking soda, and coconut oil. This combination offers detoxification which reduces overall bodily stress. Head off to bed with a cup of chamomile tea sweetened with organic, raw honey. The slightly acidic PH level of honey discourages the growth of bacteria, and its strong antioxidant properties destroy free radicals that stress your cells.
Other stress-fighting activities? If the weather allows, take a long walk or hike to reduce stress with exercise and reconnect with your partner.
Take Care of Your Mind. The quality of our lives is directly determined by our thoughts. If we are positive, grateful, and joyful, our bodies will feel less stressed. If we are negative, complaining, and bitter, our bodies will ache, and we will not be at ease.
Because our bodies are electrical in nature, our feelings travel to the brain through electrical impulses in our nerves. Those feelings are then magnetically radiated from our bodies, so if you’re feeling worrisome, fearful or depressed, you will radiate that to the people around you. We can protect our minds by watching what we eat, what we watch and what we think about. All of these avenues affect our minds; and in turn our stress levels and our overall health.
Take Care of Others. Showing love to others boosts your immune system by increasing white blood cell activity. A recent study on health and happiness found that subjects who focused on finding happiness in their own comfort and pleasure had remarkably unhealthy cellular profiles as well as high levels of inflammation in their systems. They also had lower levels of antibody production. In contrast, those who sought happiness through helping others had lower readings for inflammatory factors in their blood, and they produced more antibodies.
In other words, why we are happy matters as much as actually being happy. Whether this is showing love to our spouse or others, when we take care of others unselfishly, we are rewarded not only with improved health, but also with joy.
Volunteering to help others on a regular basis boosts self-confidence, betters your social skills, combats depression, boosts your immune system, and has even been shown to lessen chronic pain and improve heart disease.
Thank you Dr. Sulack for sharing this doable tips on managing stress.
How do you manage your day to day stress?
lisa says
Great tips! I am always stressed running around with the kids. I find physical activity and a good night’s sleep helps!
Ronnie says
I like these ideas… I’m often such a ball of anxiety.. I wake up anxious, I go to sleep anxious. 🙁 I need to remember to not let the stress get to me and just enjoy life a day at a time.
maria @ close to home says
My stress seems to change daily, I do my best to get exercise to fight it off but that is not always the complete answer.
Susan says
What great tips that everyone can use. Sleep is my favorite way to combat stress.
Jennifer B says
I agree with this! In order to handle stress better you must take care of your own body! I fail at this a lot!
becca says
Afternoon walks help me to manage stress. I go walk and turn out the world
Lois Alter Mark says
It’s amazing what stress can do to your body. These are great tips and I do try to follow them.
Liz Mays says
It’s easy to neglect your mental health when you get caught up in work. It’s good to have some sort of outlet.
Heather says
It’s very important to learn how to manage your stress.
Rosey says
Taking care of others is one I do well. It does de-stress me to be able to help others.
Annie {Stowed Stuff} says
Great tips. Exercise always helps me! I love some fresh air to clear my head too!
Kelly Hutchinson says
I am so bad about taking care of myself and stressing about everything. I need to do this more often.
Sandra @ A Dash of Sanity says
Taking care of others really does help focus that extra energy from stress. It gives everything a focus.
Debbie Denny says
So true. You have to take care of yourself and manage that stress. Otherwise you can not be your best when caring for others.
Debi says
I have been dealing with so much stress lately. I am always looking for a better way to deal.
Danielle says
I agree with all of these tips. Especially the one about sugar. Sugar can be so intense for the body, in so many ways.
Kristin says
I feel so much better when I’m getting the activity I need!
rebecca woods says
Great tips! Interesting about white cells and taking care of others. Who knew? That’s why I’m so healthy ! Lol