For many people trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle, reducing your stress levels can be one of the hardest objectives to achieve. It is well documented that being stressed or anxious can have be detrimental on a number of aspects of your health, including putting pressure on your heart and brain.

Therefore, finding ways to bring down your stress levels can help you maintain a healthier lifestyle.

Exercise

Many people find the best way to reduce their stress levels is to engage in their favourite form of exercise. Whether you enjoy jumping in the pool for a swim or hitting the road for a run, doing exercise releases endorphins, which can improve your mood almost instantly. This will help to keep you stress levels, as well as your wider mental health, at healthy levels.

Doing exercise on a regular basis is one of the best ways to make sure you don’t get too stressed out by work or home life, as well as improving your Well One healthscore.

Meditate

Some may be sceptical when the word ‚meditate‘ is thrown into a conversation, but it can be a really useful way to control your emotions and maintain good mental health. It doesn’t mean you have to sit with your legs crossed, calming music on and contemplate the world – though it is effective if you fancy giving it a go. However, meditating can be anytime during the day that you set aside to relax. This can be finding time to read a good book in a bath or listening to music on your walk home from work.

Whatever you decide to do, finding some time for yourself in your hectic schedule is essential for reducing your stress levels.

Write it out

Keeping a diary or journal isn’t something most people do anymore but it can be a fantastic way to get all your emotions out, allowing you to evaluate them and better deal with the situations life throws at you. It doesn’t have to be something you stick to every day, or a precious item that you keep for years and years, but writing or typing how you feel can be an easy and effective way to help you feel calm after a hectic day.

Sleep

Sleep is connected to a lot of aspects of leading a healthy lifestyle and stress is included. It’s easy for you to become more irritable and annoyed if you haven’t had a good night’s rest, while getting your recommended eight hours can also help your brain relax from the day’s stressors. This will help you feel more relaxed when you wake, and enable you to keep your stress levels low should you be faced with a challenging situation.

Improve your eating habits

Having a regular eating pattern can help you lead a healthy lifestyle in a number of ways. Firstly, if you have a balanced diet you will achieve your weight loss goals and maintain a healthy weight, which can be a source of stress for many people. However, it will also prevent you from having ‚crashes‘ that come from eating high amounts of sugar and salt in your diet. A nutritious diet will allow you to have all the energy you need for the day, without the debilitating crash afterwards.

A healthy diet also prevents you from finding vices in alcohol or sugary food to cope with your emotional problems, which can help you lead a better lifestyle and reduce your stress levels in a constructive way.