Getting rid of stress: 5 science-backed ways
In small doses stress can actually have some positive effects on your health – it makes the human body more resilient. Physical activity can be attributed to this sort of positive stress. But if you are constantly dealing with something that causes worry and anxiety, it will sooner or later affect your health. Moreover, the consequences can be severe. The first to suffer is the part of the brain that is responsible for learning and memory. Moreover, the production of serotonin is disrupted. The key hormone that stabilizes our mood, feelings of well-being, and happiness.
It is hardly possible to reduce the impact of stress to zero. But everyone can reduce its impact on their live. Here are 5 ways to cope with stress, the effectiveness of which has been proven by scientists:
1. Napping
Scientists from the University of California have proved that a good night's sleep regulates our emotions. But a night without sleep, on the contrary, increases the level of anxiety by 30%. Experts from the University of Berkeley have found that it is napping that can calm anxiety. When a person is in REM sleep, their muscles are fully relaxed, and their pupils move at a high speed. At this time, our brain transfers information from short-term memory storage to long-term memory storage, summoning up the skills acquired during the day and the emotions that we experienced. It is the rapid sleep during which we dream.
But this does not mean that you need to ignore the non-rapid eye movement type. This can lead to memory impairment and absent-mindedness. Both types of sleep – REM and non-REM are equally important for the normal functioning of our body.
2. Swimming
Everyone knows that we need to drink 2 liters of water daily and its benefits for our body. But immersion of your body in water is also important for your well-being. Swimming restores nerve cells and reduces the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, which mobilizes the resources of our body to overcome pressure or tension exerted on it.
In 2017, scientists published the results of a large-scale study on how swimming affects human health. The indicators were impressive – the risk of premature mortality is reduced by 28%, and the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases is reduced by as much as 41%.
3. Meditation
If you are still skeptical about meditation, it's time to look at it from a different angle. It is not for nothing that more than 3 thousand scientific studies have confirmed its benefits for human health. Thus, in one study, it was proved that regular meditation reduces the activity of those areas of the brain that are responsible for stress and anxiety. In another experiment, the results of which were published in the American Psychiatric Journal, 22 patients with panic attacks took a meditation course for three months. As a result, the symptoms of panic and anxiety disappeared completely in 20 of them. Moreover, the achieved result was preserved with further supervision. Experts from the University of California state that the practice of meditation is just as effective in treating depression as taking antidepressants.
4. Running
Some scientists believe that our body was created for running. This judgement is strengthened by the shape of the hips and feet, the length of the legs, the ability to sweat and the cushioning mass within the intervertebral discs. In addition to the benefits for physical health, running also improves the emotional state. One curious study was published in the Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine. It states that 30 minutes of running can cheer up a person who is utterly depressed. Even those subjects who ran slowly still had an improvement in their good mood. This is due to the fact that running reduces activity in the frontal cortex, stabilizes the body's resistance to stress and increases the level of serotonin and norepinephrine. These elements are responsible for the production of new neurons.
5. Cleaning
Experts from the University of London believe that people who clean their homes daily are 20% less likely to suffer from mental disorders. This is due to the fact that cleaning is also a kind of physical activity. And when we move, the body produces hormones of joy – dopamine and serotonin. Besides, during housework, our brain concentrates purely on tidying and replacing the objects. And thus distracts from problems and disturbing thoughts.
We lead busy and hectic lives having to face stressful situations every day. Not everyone is able to withstand this. Try to incorporate a few items from our list into your routine. You will feel how much easier it will become to handle everyday problems and at the same time maintain a positive attitude.
