Consciously shift your perception of stress from a debilitating force to an enhancing one, viewing physical symptoms (like a racing heart) as your body preparing you to perform better. Consistently apply this mindset across various stressful situations to build long-term resilience and reduce cortisol levels.
Accept what you cannot control in stressful situations, focusing instead on your own response and showing compassion or a loving presence. This prevents a chronically stressed state of striving against a brick wall and helps maintain a healthier biological state.
Engage in short, moderate bursts of physical exercise (3-5 times a week) to create positive hormetic stress, which strengthens your nervous system, builds biological resistance, and can slow or reverse the effects of inflammation and telomere shortening.
Take time to journal about everything that bothers, worries, or pressures you without editing or censoring. This practice helps you step back, reflect on your burden, identify sources of unnecessary stress, and break daily stress routines.
Actively practice gratitude by remembering and acknowledging the blessings and fortunate aspects of your life, even during difficult times. Research shows that gratitude is a powerful tool for tackling stress and improving well-being.
Take stock of neglected self-care practices, such as sleep, food, and time with friends, to identify areas where you can regain control and improve your well-being. This helps counteract the negative effects of chronic stress.
Pay attention to both external factors (e.g., major life changes, relationship troubles, financial worries) and internal factors (e.g., self-criticism, unrealistic expectations, being too busy) that trigger your stress response. Understanding these factors is the first step toward managing them.
If you are a caregiver, actively prioritize your own self-care, including exercise and sleep, despite the immense challenges and demands of the role. Neglecting self-care can lead to severe health consequences, including increased mortality risk and slower wound healing.