Stress is killer in a very literal sense.
As a quick breakdown, here is why stress is bad.
First, stressful situations cause the brain to release cortisol, which signals to the body that it’s go-time. When the body enters into this proverbial “go-time”, which is just the biological function of fight-or-flight, the body stops tending to the essential functions that can get in the way of this survival mode.
What are essential functions?
Digestion, sleep, bathroom functions, and basically the ability to do anything other than the stressful thing that started this in the first place.
When this goes on for too long, the entire body goes haywire, unsure of what is safe and what is threatening. The immune system starts to go spastic and inflammation increases throughout the body.
Inflammation slowly breaks down the tissue on everything, from your skin to your brain tissue.
And it increases the risk of diabetes.
Needless to say, stress is bad. So here are five easy ways to reduce your stress levels and support your body in controlling your diabetes.
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1. Get Outside
This is the easiest and cheapest way to boost your mood naturally. Step outside and spend about 15 minutes soaking up the sun, even if it’s hidden behind clouds. The natural sunlight induces a flood of happy neurotransmitters, serotonin. Serotonin will help you handle stress a whole lot more happily.
2. Laugh More
Laughing is a powerful medicine. The cool thing about the brain is that although it is super smart and complex, it is also easily manipulated. When you change your facial muscles to a happy state, your brain sort of dumbly follows behind. So a fake smile held long enough can eventually improve your mood. It’s even more powerful when done with laughter. Laughter reduces stress hormones and increases neurotransmitters associated with happiness. So go watch a comedy, talk to a funny friend, or read a few memes. It will help you cut through the stress.
3. Be Mindful
A little bit of mindfulness goes a long way. Just five minutes a day of a simple meditation practice can profoundly reduce stress. It works by lowering your brain’s panic mode in the face of stress (rather than eliminating the stressful events, themselves).
4. Get Creative
Take a timeout during your crazy day to do a little bit of coloring. It doesn’t really matter what you do, how you do it, if it’s even any good, as long as you are exercising your creative brain. Art serves as a form of therapy for the brain, allowing it to process emotions and stressful events more effectively than just by thinking alone. So grab some colored pencils and doodle something silly. Your brain will thank you!
5. Sleep Better
A good night’s rest is like giving your brain a massage. It resets everything so that your brain can process daily events more easily and without becoming overworked. Not sure how to get better sleep? Browse through our articles to find great tips, like here or here.
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Review of General Psych. URL Link. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
Harvard Health Publications. URL Link. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
Huffington Post. URL Link #1. URL Link #2. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
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