Life is stressful and sometimes the stress can overwhelm you, but there are steps you can take to learn how to relax.
Normal everyday activities like grocery shopping or traffic jams can make you tense. You might find it hard to unplug from digital devices and streaming services in a 24/7 world. Work deadlines, handling the kids or dealing with a difficult relationship can get you down.
Stress is really how your body and brain respond to challenges, such as pressure at work, [handling] the pandemic, increasing family responsibility, other negative experiences that may impact and create stress.
When you feel overwhelmed or can’t handle a situation, your body might respond in a bad way. The so-called “fight or flight” response kicks in to get you ready to run, and that creates stress.
“Experiencing short periods of stress is just fine, in fact, it's even healthy,” says Jonathan C. Smith, PhD, a professor of psychology at Roosevelt University, founding director of the university’s Mindful Initiative, and a prolific author of books on relaxation practices.
“Living a stress-free life is unhealthy and dangerous. We need a little bit of challenge to keep us alive,” Smith says.
But too much stress isn’t good for you. Some situations, like the isolation you may have faced during the pandemic, for example, can cause ongoing stress, which, in turn, can bring on health problems.
It’s normal to feel overwhelmed by something like a global pandemic, but it’s also important to find ways to relax, Shurtleff says. He practices yoga about three times a week and uses a treadmill daily to help keep worries under control.
Stress over time can really impact our bodies and our brains and lead to really devastating chronic conditions such as anxiety and depression
Download this app and learn more on how to reduce stress.