Take 5 to Alleviate Stress

We all know too much stress negatively affects our health and well-being. With stress levels rising, here are five tips to help you cope:

1. Breathe: Deep breathing is one of the best ways to immediately relieve stress. Consider starting a regular practice so you can call upon that skill when you need it most. If you have never done this before, see the American Lung Association’s breathing exercises guide to ensure you learn this skill.
2. Move: Physical activity has numerous benefits, and stress relief is one. Any kind of movement — walking, strength training, playing sports — can combat the increases in cortisol and inflammation generated by chronic stress. Pair activity with time spent in nature or with people you enjoy to help boost stress-relieving impacts and keep you moving.
3. Disengage daily from doom scrolling: Social media offers the potential for a nonstop onslaught of negativity. Consider strategies such as turning off notifications, limiting social media use to certain times of day or for a specific length of time, or purposefully curating a feed with social media accounts that facilitate joy. Perhaps adding more dog influencers to your feed?
4. Identify sources of stress: Take time to understand what is causing your stress. Sometimes the answers are obvious (an upcoming deadline, changes at work, family crises), but if you find yourself constantly feeling run-down and on edge, and you are unsure why, try to process what is contributing to you feeling stressed. Awareness is the first step.
5. Seek support: Friends and family can provide assistance in combating stress — when we let them know. Tell someone you care about how you are feeling. Just the act of telling someone what you are struggling with can be helpful. If you do not find relief from anything you are trying, consider psychotherapy. The American Psychological Association has guides for finding a good therapist.