Optimize Your Heart: 4 Ways to Manage Stress and Help Your Heart

“Let’s talk about all the good things, and the bad things that may be. Let’s talk about stress. Let’s talk about stress.” – Bill Nye
 
Stress is a hot topic! Did you know that stress can interfere with your appetite, energy levels, sleep and mood? Chronic stress can lead to a wide range of harmful health effects, including indirectly leading to heart disease.
  
Little things that we tend to experience everyday such as traffic jams, relationship strains and on-the-job aggravation can lead to an accumulation of stress and the build up of bad habits.
 
Frustrations and anxiety can lead us to turn to comfort foods such as pizza, ice cream and cookies. Too many unhealthy foods like these over a long period of time can contribute to heart attack and stroke.
 
When we are stressed, we are also more likely to skip out on our healthy routines such as going for a walk or exercising. Exercise melts stress away, not to mention it prevents heart disease by making our hearts stronger and healthier. When we are physically active the heart pumps oxygen to our working muscles, strengthens the heart muscle and helps to lower blood pressure. You probably know that there are many other positive healthy reasons to exercise!
 
We tend to spiral into a negative mindset when we are already stressed about something. If we get upset or worked up over something our heart rate can skyrocket. The more frequently we tend to this, the worse it can be for our health. We need to learn how to change our reactions to situations in order to reduce the stress it can cause. Being aware and analyzing our feelings can be very beneficial in managing a stressful situation and lowering overall stress levels. 
 
Taking just a few moments each day to check in on our stress levels is a very helpful way to reduce chronic stress. Try these 4 tips below to reduce stress and keep your heart healthy!
 
1.     STAY POSITIVE
Laughter has been considered a good way to lower stress. Turn negative thoughts around, and try to smile and laugh throughout your day.
 
2.     MEDITATE
Sit down for a few minutes and follow a guided meditation, or simply pay attention to your breath. This can be an easy practice for anyone and it reduces stress by lowering your heart rate.
 
3.     EXERCISE
We need those feel-good hormones to give us a boost! Go for a walk, or do basic jumping jacks, squatting and plank at home! Aim for 3 times per week.
 
4.     UNPLUG
Stress follows you around in the form of your cell phone. Take time away from emails, social media, videos and the TV, even if it’s just for 15 mins.
 
When stress is left to pile up, it is harder to tackle, and the negative side effects can worsen. Remember to take a moment each day to destress, breathe and relax.
 
If you find this information helpful, please find the poster in PDF format under the Downloads tab. You can display it for your employees to read.
 
Have a happy and healthy day!
Rochelle Pickering
Wellness Consultant