Harvard Health Letter
Handling stress a little better
Stress is a natural response to emotional or physical pressure. In small amounts, it can help you stay focused and meet challenges. But when it is constant or overwhelming, it can harm your physical and mental health.
Managing stress effectively can reduce anxiety, boost energy, and improve overall well-being. The key is learning how to interrupt the body’s stress response and activate the relaxation response.
How exercise calms the mind
Exercise isn’t just good for your physical health. It’s also a great stress reducer as well as an energy booster. Regular aerobic exercise helps the body’s “stress system” — mainly parts of the brain and the adrenal glands — release fewer stress hormones in response to daily stressors. At the same time, exercise stimulates endorphin production, creating a calming, mood-lifting effect that can make it easier to cope with stress.
The mind-body connection
You can learn to moderate the stress response with meditation, other mind-body techniques, or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT is a type of psychotherapy that helps you identify and change negative thoughts and behaviors. Both mainstream health care providers and integrative medicine specialists often recommend mind-body techniques as stress-reduction strategies.
Source: Harvard Health