Healthy decompression habits and lifestyle

Some habits can improve resilience to stress and improve overall health. For example, those who exercise or meditate regularly tend to reduce stress when faced with difficult challenges. So it's important to create a lifestyle that helps you resist stress and meet challenges in a healthy way.

First, a balanced diet

Poor eating habits can create a greater response to stress. Emotional eating and eating high-fat, high-sugar foods can temporarily relieve stress, thereby increasing long-term stress.

Refined carbohydrates, like crackers and chips, can cause blood sugar spikes. When your blood sugar plummets, you may experience more stress and anxiety. A healthy diet can help you fight stress in the long run. Foods like eggs, avocados, and walnuts support mood regulation and energy balance.

Second, make time for leisure activities

Leisure is a great way to relieve stress. However, many people feel that their lives are too busy to have interests, games or extra fun.

However, having leisure time in your schedule can be the key to helping you feel your best. You perform better when you feel better, which means leisure time may make your work time more productive.

Whether you find joy in gardening or quilt-making, hobbies and leisure are the keys to a good life.

Third, practice yoga

Yoga combines physical activity, meditation, light exercise, and breath control—all of which are great for stress relief.

While you may get immediate benefits from a yoga class, you may reap long-term benefits if you incorporate it into your life in a consistent manner.

Yoga is good for the body, mind and spirit. First, you can take a class, sign up for an online class, or use an app to help you get started.

Fourth, express gratitude

Gratitude helps you realize all the things you should be grateful for. Whether you're thankful for a sunny day or for getting to work safely, think about all the good things in your life.

Gratitude also reminds you of all the resources you need to deal with stress, which can be very powerful.

Research also shows that grateful people are mentally healthier, have less stress, and have a better quality of life.

So whether you decide to make it a habit to sit around the dinner table to determine what you're grateful for, or decide to write down the three things you're grateful for in your gratitude journal each day, you need to make it a habit of gratitude all the time.

Fifth, prioritize exercise

Physical activity is key to managing stress and improving mental health. The best news is that there are many different kinds of activities that can reduce your stress.

Join the gym, take a class or exercise outdoors. Remember, there are many different ways you can get more physical activity throughout the day. Walking, strength training, kayaking, hiking, and spinning classes are just a few different ways to de-stress.