Feeling Stressed?

 ~ Stress is not what happens to us. It's our response to what happens. And respon is something we can choose ~                    Maureen Killoran

Don't Stress!!!

Since I started college, my life seems more stressful than ever. Unfortunately, an exceeded amount of stress can really affect your body. Although its not always easy, you should try to relieve yourself of your stresses as much as possible and keep yourself healthy. 

This week, along with most weeks, I went to the gym a few days. For me, exercising is one of the best ways to relieve stress. I blast my music and block everything out. It allows me to focus on the now and concentrate on what I'm doing. After I get out of the gym, I feel refreshed and level headed. It helps me get things off my mind. Even though exercising works for me, there are many other ways to help relieve stress. Some examples include:

Listen to Music If you're feeling overwhelmed by a stressful situation, try taking a break and listening to relaxing classical music. Playing calm music has a positive effect on the brain and body, can lower blood pressure, and can reduce cortisol, a hormone linked to stress.

Laugh It Off It may seem funny but laughter releases endorphins that 

improve mood and decrease levels of the stress-causing hormones, cortisol and adrenaline. Laughing tricks our nervous system into making us happy. So even when your stressed and you don't feel much like laughing, try to take things easy and think about something silly.

Drink Green Tea We all know that harsh caffeine found in coffee and energy drinks increase stress, however, green tea has less than half the caffeine of coffee and contains healthy antioxidants, as well as theanine—an amino acid that has a calming and soothing effect on the nervous system. 

Sleep Better Everyone knows stress can cause you to lose sleep. Unfortunately, lack of sleep is also a key cause of stress. This vicious cycle causes the brain and body to get out of whack and it only gets worse and worse with time. You should always try to get at least eight hours of sleep every night, especially when your stressed. 

Call a Friend If you're feeling overwhelmed, take a break to call a friend and talk about your problems. Good relationships with friends and loved-ones are important to any healthy lifestyle. A reassuring voice, even for a minute, can put everything in perspective.

Eat Right Believe it or not, stress levels and a proper diet are closely related. Unfortunately, it’s when we have the most work that we forget to eat well and we resort to quick junk food. Try to avoid the vending machine and plan healthy meals. 

Try Yoga Yoga is great time to breath deeply, meditate, and take your mind off things. Its even good for your body. I used to do yoga all the time and I loved it!

Stress is an unavoidable part of life. But that doesn't mean you should ignore it. Too much untreated stress can cause potentially serious physical and mental health problems. Don't ignore your stress, relieve it.

        
 Getting sick as a college student can take a huge toll on your schedule and it affects everything you need to get done. Therefore, you should avoid getting sick as best as you can throughout the school year. Better yet, avoid getting sick throughout life to always ensure good health. Here are some tips: 

Wash your hands!
I know we have all hear it a thousand times, but washing your hands on a regular basis is a simple step towards avoiding sickness. Our hands encounter millions of germs everyday and we use them for just about everything. By washing your hands, there's less chance of these germs entering your body.

Don't touch your face!

Our face is the number one place for germs to enter our bodies. Were all aware that we inhale airborne germs, however germs can also enter through other places like your eyes. Avoid rubbing your eyes and the rest of your face, especially if your hands aren't clean.
Avoid other sick people!
Staying away from other people with illnesses is important when avoiding getting sick. Surrounding yourself with bacteria basically ensures that you will catch it. Although this isn't always possible, be aware that there's always germs around (especially during cold and flu season) and pay attention to your hygiene.

Exercise!

Not only does exercise keep you looking and feeling great, but a great deal of recent research suggests that regular exercise will boost your immune system. A good immune system is a key point towards preventing illness.
Stay hydrated!                                                         Although drinking plenty of fluids is a key strategy to fighting illness once you’re actually sick, staying hydrated may actually help you prevent illness as well. Our bodies are over 60% water. Water transports nutrients to cells and flushes out toxins. 
                         Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables!
Our immune systems fight off tons of infections every day without us even realizing it. To keep your immune system strong however, you need to maintain a healthy diet full of vitamins and minerals contained in fruits and vegetables.
Don't party too hard!
Alcohol, cigarettes, and illicit drugs all weaken your immune system. So if you feel a cold coming on you might want to avoid these things. If you cant help yourself, try and do it in a bacteria free environment. 

Keep your environment clean!

When your avoiding getting sick or trying to get over an illness, you should clean common surfaces as often as possible. For example, handles, doorknobs, telephones, etc. The less germs the better!


Get plenty of rest!
Ensuring that your body has enough rest will keep you and your immune system strong. An unhealthy amount of rest can leave you prone to infection.