We are living in stress-inducing times, and that can take a toll on our physical and mental health. During Mental Illness Awareness Week, practice healthy ways to get relief from feeing overwhelmed or burned out. Self-care can give you the much-needed break you need. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers these tips for de-stressing:
- Eat healthy meals
- Exercise on a regular basis
- Keep a consistent sleep schedule; sleep deprivation can cause sleep mental health problems
- Talk about concerns with family and friends, or seek counseling
- Take breaks during the day
- Avoid stress triggers
- Don’t turn to alcohol or drugs to relax
- Try meditation or yoga
At any given moment, an individual can be dealing with routine stress from the demands of life, changes in circumstance, such as losing a job, or traumatic stress in which lives are at stake or lost. While not all stress is bad — it can help us act decisively in the face of danger, for example — the chronic kind can take a toll.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, it can:
- Cause headaches
- Lead to digestion problems
- Disrupt sleep
- Affect the immune system
- Alter mood, leading to anger or sadness
Unchecked, chronic stress can contribute to:
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Depression
- Anxiety
If you or someone you know struggles with mental illness, contact NewBridge Services at (973) 316-9333 or on the NewBridge website.
