Manage Stress
Stress is something that everyone experiences. It is how your body reacts to pressure.
What causes stress?
Stress can happen for a lot of different reasons, including:
- New experiences or situations
- Life changes
- Unrealistic workloads or expectations
- Conflict
- Death in the family
- Busy schedule
- Losing a job
No matter the reason, stress impacts your mental, emotional, and physical health.
Tips to manage stress and lower blood pressure
Being under stress can cause your blood pressure to go up. Managing your stress is one way to keep your blood pressure under control.
Here are some ways to manage stress:
- Breathe: Take deep, slow breaths to relax. Meditation and yoga are also great ways to help with stress management, and both typically involve breathing exercises.
- Exercise: Make sure to get physical activity into your routine.
- Talk to friends and family: Call on your support network to listen to you and ask them for help.
- Avoid smoking and drinking: While smoking and drinking are thought to help you relax, they can make you feel more anxious.
- Get enough sleep: Aim to get 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night. Prepare for sleep by keeping your room dark, quiet, and comfortable. Also, try not to drink caffeine in the afternoon and evening.
If your stress persists and is causing other problems that impact your ability to do normal daily tasks, contact your doctor.
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/howrightnow/emotion/stress/index.html
https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/changes-you-can-make-to-manage-high-blood-pressure/managing-stress-to-control-high-blood-pressure
