by Clara Myers
You know you’re overstressed. Your weight and your blood pressure are up. Maybe you’re experiencing panic attacks. Every virus that comes through the office takes up residence in your body because your immune system is weakened. Maybe you’re experiencing depression or anxiety as well. Stress can manifest itself in many ways, and its effects can be debilitating.
Often people leading stressful lives continue the downward spiral by adopting habits that exacerbate the situation. Consuming caffeinated drinks, alcoholic beverages, sugary foods, and missing sleep will only worsen the situation.
If you’re feeling burned out, here are some things you can do in the short term–
- Learn to say ‘no’
- Take a long hot bath
- Listen to music
- Exercise
- Get enough sleep
- Eat balanced meals
- Get a massage
For a long term strategy, consider incorporating biofeedback into your life. Biofeedback is a technique of alternative medicine which measures bodily processes such as blood pressure and heart rate.This information is conveyed to the subject in real-time in order to develop his or her conscious control of the physiological response to stress. Besides stress, biofeedback has been used to successfully treat headaches, asthma, and hyperactivity.
Before stress causes you to develop heart disease or an ulcer, consider incorporating biofeedback into your lifestyle. It’s a great long-term strategy that can help your response to stressful situations.
