We all experience stress from time to time. Job, money and health issues as well as family responsibilities rank as some of the top causes of stress in our lives. However, stress management is possible.

What Is Stress?

Stress is your body’s way of handling any kind of demand that leaves you feeling overloaded or struggling to cope. It can be caused by both good and bad experiences.

When you’re stressed, your body releases chemicals into your blood to give you more energy and strength. These chemicals can be good if your mental burden is in response to physical danger. But if it’s more emotional, this extra energy and strength has no outlet.

What Are the Symptoms of Stress?

Stress can be so overwhelming that it can cause physical and psychological symptoms in people.

• 66% of people regularly have physical symptoms, like fatigue, headache and upset stomach.
• 63% of people frequently experience psychological symptoms, like irritability, anger, nervousness and lack of energy.

Stress can also cause or make other medical conditions worse, like heart disease, obesity, asthma, and cancer.

Almost half of all people say that stress can lead to a negative impact on their personal and professional lives.

 

[Video – American Psychological Association – Stress]

 

How to Manage Your Stress

While there’s no magic pill to control stress, you can do some things to manage it, like talking with your doctor and/or a psychologist. Additionally, you can try some stress-management tips to help you feel happier and healthier, too.

1. Keep a journal. A journal can help you identify the things that cause stress in your life and analyze how you currently cope with these stressors. Once you identify your common triggers and coping mechanisms, you can come up with healthier ways to manage your mental burdens.
   

   Photo credit: 123RF / Gilbert Mevi

2. Realize what you can and can’t control. Avoid stressors you can control by saying “no” when you’ve reached your limits. Avoid people who make you feel  stressed. Drop unnecessary tasks from your to-do list. Accept the things you can’t change.
3. Change your attitude and expectations. Focus on the positive – not the negative. Adjust your standards. Things don’t have to be perfect. “Good enough” is okay.
4. Let your feelings out in an open and respectful manner. Bottled-up feelings up can lead to resentment and more stress.
5. Manage your time better. It’s hard to stay calm when you’re running behind. Plan to allow yourself extra time to get things done.
6. Make time to have fun and relax. Do something you enjoy every day, like reading, listening to music, playing with the kids, or taking a candle-lit bath.
7. Walk away. When you start to feel overwhelmed, stop and take a walk to calm yourself.
8. Just breathe. Practice relaxation techniques, like deep breathing or yoga.
9. Have a sense of humor. Laughter really is the best medicine.
10. Exercise regularly and eat a healthy diet. When you’re healthier, you’re able to fight stress better.
11. Get plenty of sleep. When you’re tired, you’re more likely to become stressed.
12. Develop a good support system. Spending time with positive people can reduce the negative effects of stress.

By following these tips, you’ll hopefully be able to increase your focus, energy, and resilience to live a healthier, stress-free life.

ezWalker® Custom Orthotics Reduce Stress, too!

Did you know that your feet, ankles, knees, hips and lower back can experience stress every day with every step you take?

Your feet’s arches (the medial longitudinal, lateral longitudinal, and transverse or metatarsal arches) are supposed to work together to support and stabilize the bones and muscles in your lower extremities. But when one or more of your arches isn’t working correctly, your feet can be thrown out of bio-mechanical alignment. When this occurs, the rest of your body can be thrown out of alignment, too.

Therefore, as you walk or run, your body’s weight is no longer evenly distributed over your feet, causing added stress on your feet, ankles, knees, hips and lower back. Added strain can lead to pain in these areas.

However, ezWalker® Custom Fit Orthotics are created to support your arches, so your feet (and the rest of your body) are in bio-mechanical alignment. By correctly realigning your gait from your feet up, ezWalker® Custom Fit Orthotics reduce unnecessary burdens on your feet, legs, hips and lower back. Therefore, you’ll experience pain relief and comfort throughout your body.

The WalkEZStore uses a unique, 7-step, bio-mechanical, non-weight-bearing, custom-impression process to create a functional orthotic that controls your hind foot and allows proper function of your first metatarsal joint – creating a better step with every step you take. So order your ezWalker® Custom Fit Orthotics today. Or schedule an appointment to have a free gait analysis and discuss your particular foot concerns.

Because … when your feet feel good, you feel good.® 

Disclaimer: The information included in this article is for educational purposes only. It should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. 

Cover Photo: Pixabay