6 Ways to De-stress Your Life (in Honor of Stress Awareness Day)

A 2016 national survey reported that Americans are more stressed than ever, with roughly 75 percent of adults reporting feeling moderate to high levels of stress on a regular (at least once a month) basis. It’s statistics like this that encouraged the International Stress Management Association (ISMA) to create Stress Awareness Day — a day dedicated to raising awareness of the negative mental and physical effects stress has on people, as well as ways to reduce stress levels.

This year, we’re celebrating Stress Awareness Day (which falls on November 1) by sharing a few ways you can reduce the amount of stress in your life.

1. Limit caffeine. We all love the morning jolt we get from coffee and energy drinks, but those caffeinated drinks don’t love our body back. Too much caffeine can exacerbate stress levels and leave you feeling overwhelmed.

2. Get a full night’s sleep. We know you’ve heard it all before, but sleep really is so important for your overall health. Lack of sleep is a significant cause of stress, so try to get your eight hours. But if it’s stress that’s causing you to lose sleep, and not the other way around, try combating that by sleeping in a cool, tranquil environment that’s free of electronics and distractions.

3. Fall in love with exercising. We know it’s easier said than done, but exercise is a wonderfully healthy way to cut down on stress. Exercising has also been shown to help people fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer (we’re looking at you, tip #2).

4. Practice deep breathing. Deep breaths fill your lungs, heart, and brain with oxygen, which encourages your body to relax. Once your body has relaxed, your mind will follow.

5. Keep a diary. No, not the kind you had when you were younger, a stress diary. Writing about your stress will help you to:

• De-stress in that very moment.
• Learn about what causes your stress and help you to avoid it in the future. 

6. Learn that it’s okay to say “No.” All too often we hear that people are afraid of saying no. But think of it like this, when you say “yes” to one thing, like working late, you say “no" to a bunch of other things, like spending time with your family or getting a good night’s sleep. So before you say “yes” to something and potentially pile too much on your plate, think about if you actually have the time, money, energy, and desire to do it.

Florida Ear Nose Throat & Facial Plastic Surgery Center, located in Orlando, FL, is an otolaryngology and facial plastics practice committed to providing our patients with the highest quality and personal care, as well as most advanced technology by a Harvard trained, double boarded facial plastic and head and neck surgeon.