How to Reduce Stress

Stress management is something that I think is extremely important for everyone's well-being.  A person who is stressed out all the time is in a constant state of fight-or-flight. This means that our brain is in overdrive trying to help us fight or run away from a 'threat.' A person who is always in this state is inefficient, as he/she is using all of their energy focused on this 'threat.' This 'threat' may be an unwanted email, a person that picks on you, an assignment due, or an important upcoming competition.

In this post, I'll be sharing some tips on how to reduce/manage stress.


1. Eliminate/Reduce caffeine intake

Caffeine triggers the production of the stress hormone, cortisol. Naturally, cortisol is the chemical that our body makes when we are in stressful situations. Caffeine also blocks receptors that tell us when we are tired. When the body is tired, but we block those receptors from telling our brain that the body needs rest, it causes stress and possibly injury to the body. Therefore, caffeine, in my opinion, should be consumed wisely. 


2. Adopt a state of carelessness

If one adopts a state of carelessness, the mind cannot get stressed out. I have observed that most of the time I get stressed out when I am worried about something that I can't control. So my advice is to give whatever you're doing your all, but don't get worried about the outcome. Whatever the outcome may be, good or bad, there is always something to learn from. And when there is something to learn from, we become wiser beings and are able to make better decisions in the future. So don't worry about things you can't control; for every negative there will always be a positive, even if it doesn't seem like it in the foreseeable future.


3. Reduce screen time

Being on a screen for longer than necessary will over-stimulate the mind, which creates stress. I find that when I am most content, I am not looking at a screen, rather I am in nature, reading an interesting book, or in the company of others. 



In general, reducing things that stimulate the brain will reduce stress. Also, not caring so much about things that are out of your control will bring the mind peace. Feel free to comment how you reduce stress. Thanks for reading!

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