Stress can be defined as worry or concern triggered by a problematic situation. In an online survey of 5000 participants, in April 2020, 49% of them experienced stress a lot more than others. Only 6% communicated less experience of stress. Fast forward to January 2021, the situation got a bit better because only 23% of people expressed feeling severe stress, whereas only 9% of people experienced less stress than others. 

Stress is a normal reaction to uncertainty and difficult situations in life. But chronic stress can damage an individual on physical, mental, and emotional levels. The negative consequences of it include high blood pressure, depression, anxiety, asthma, diabetes, and heart issues. Additionally, it leads to insomnia, fertility issues, and a weak immune system.

There are different effective and healthy ways for stress management: exercise, eating a healthy diet, proper sleep, meditation, resilience, and gratitude. In view of all of this, stress management becomes critical for a happy and healthier life.

How Does Exercise Lead to Better Mental Health and Stress Management?

Aerobic exercises (jogging, swimming, cycling, and walking) have been shown to improve the symptoms of anxiety and depression. A study found a link between physical activity and improvement in mental health as it produces the same symptoms of anxiety -increased heart rate, and sweating. But consistent exercise creates a positive association with these symptoms. 

In agreement with another 2019 review article, the exercise regime showed significant improvement in PTSD symptoms. Hence, exercise helps in stress management which brings enhancement in mental health. So, its significance in daily life cannot be denied.

“I think exercise tests us in so many ways, our skills, our hearts, our ability to bounce back after setbacks. This is the inner beauty of sports and competition, and it can serve us all well as adult athletes.”- Peggy Fleming

Does Physical Health Improve Through Gratitude?

Practicing gratitude has multiple benefits for mental and emotional health. New research has shown advantages for physical health too. In a 2003 study, it was found that when two hundred university students practiced gratitude for ten weeks, they experienced lesser bodily issues than the other group.

As stated in 2013 research, the habit of gratitude predicted improved physical health in adults. Hence, gratitude helped improve the physical health of participants. 

We know that gratitude increases happiness, self-confidence, reduces suicidal thoughts, strengthens social bonds, boosts an optimistic view of life, and many more. All of this implies increased stress management and improved physical health.

​​”Give yourself a gift of five minutes of contemplation in awe of everything you see around you. Go outside and turn your attention to the many miracles around you. This five-minute-a-day regimen of appreciation and gratitude will help you to focus your life in awe.”- Wayne Dyer

How Resilience Boosts Emotional Health?

Resilience means an individual’s ability to recover after facing adversity in life. Different factors contribute to enhancing the resilience of an individual, for instance, positive attitude, social support, coping mechanisms, purposeful life, and physical activity. 

There is no doubt that the above factors have significant potential to boost one’s emotional life. For example, positive thinking improves symptoms of depression and anxiety. It also increases one’s confidence in implementing coping strategies to deal with difficult scenarios. Living with a life of purpose also brings added benefits such as happiness, strong social support, improved stress management, and a longer life span. 

Additionally, according to 2015 research, resilience has a positive association with positive emotions, satisfaction in life, and personal perception of welfare. Hence, the importance of resilience for significantly boosting emotional health cannot be denied.

“In order to succeed, people need a sense of self-efficacy, to struggle together with resilience to meet the inevitable obstacles and inequities of life”- Albert Bandura

Benefits of Meditation for Stress Management

Recently, meditation exercises have become a popular way to reduce stress in life. An encouraging point is that there are several types of it; an individual can pick any meditation practice. For example, yoga, Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR), Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), and several more. 

According to 2020 research, meditation exercises have brought improvement in the symptoms of depression, anxiety, and pain during the pandemic. Positive results were also seen in people doing Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction techniques (MBSR). Moreover, meditation practices not only brought improvement in mental illnesses but also encouraged brain changes in long-term users. Hence, meditation is one of the best ways to tackle stress.

As per 2009 research, the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction exercise (MBSR) was able to reduce stress levels in the participants. Furthermore, it not only decreased the pattern of rumination (continuous cycle of negative thinking) but also increased feelings of empathy and self-compassion. Hence, meditation practice helped in stress management.

An Additional Tip for effective Stress Management

Emotional regulation is another way to reduce stress in daily life. Emotional regulation is about regulating one’s emotions according to the situation. It not only reduces stress but also brings many other benefits like stronger bonding with people.

According to 2003 research, college students were asked to manage their stress through writing about their emotions. The purpose of the research was to see if their performance improved in the next semester. The results showed improvement in their GPA in the next semester of college. Hence, emotional regulation through writing helped them reduce their stress levels and perform better.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, stress management becomes crucial to lead a happy and healthier life. Its importance cannot be doubted anywhere because improved stress management means better physical, mental and emotional health. It also means a stronger bond with loved ones, employees, colleagues, relatives, and neighbors. It is also the case that some individuals do not take stress management seriously so they suffer from the repercussions. Stress management brings personal development in life. Moreover, there are courses available to bring positive upgrades such as energy, intelligent anger management, and many more.