Six Ways to Reduce Stress & Anxiety for Muscle Pain Relief

Six Ways to Reduce Stress & Anxiety for Muscle Pain Relief

If you’ve been stuck inside your home and keeping up with the news, you may have heightened stress levels. When you’re stressed, this means your nervous system is cranked up! This means your muscles are likely to contract and stay tight for extended periods of time resulting in muscle and joint pain.
 This is just a normal human reaction when your sympathetic or fight-or-flight nervous system stays in a heightened state. 
 The next phase is anxiety. Increased anxiety in humans causes an increase in Adrenal hormones that mask the pain in our muscles. This also results in a weaker immune system by reducing lymph node or lymph system size/surface area to fight off illness, causing you to be more vulnerable to viral infections and illnesses.
 The last thing that happens is an increase in stomach acid which leads to ulcers.  Thus, caffeine and alcohol are not our friends in times like these. 

Here are six simple ways that you can relieve your stress and anxiety today.

Exercise

Exercising is one of the best things you can do for both your body and mind. Not only will exercising lower your body’s stress hormones, but it will also release endorphins. This will leave you feeling happy and relaxed once you’ve completed a workout.

Some workout ideas include running/jogging, walking your dog, yoga/stretching, and having a dance party in your living room.

Not only will you feel strong and more confident, but your overall mood will increase, and you’ll be able to relax.

Cut Back On Caffeine

Caffeine is a stimulant, and high doses can increase your anxiety. If you’ve ever finished a cup of coffee and noticed yourself feeling a little too jittery, it’s probably best to switch to decaf or tea as an alternative.

Everyone’s sensitivity to caffeine varies, so it’s important to consider how you feel when you drink it. If your heart is racing, and you can’t seem to hold still, maybe it’s time to reevaluate your intake.

Here’s the average caffeine amount in milligrams in a cup of the following beverages:

  • Coffee: 100-200mg
  • Matcha: 80mg
  • Black tea: 40-80mg
  • Oolong tea: 40mg
  • Green tea: 35mg
  • White tea: 13mg

Call A Loved One

Getting emotional support from your friends and family is a great way to help you get through a stressful situation. They can potentially offer a fresh perspective and give you some advice.

If you don’t want to talk about your stress, you can catch up on old and new times, and this will be a nice distraction from whatever it is that’s making you anxious.

Declutter

Clutter is one of the leading causes of stress. A messy bedroom, dishes in the sink, files all over your computer desktop, even clutter in your brain. Wherever your clutter is, get rid of it!

Take an hour or two and deep clean your living space. Not only will this give you something to do, but it will make you feel productive and accomplished. In the end, you’ll have a nice, clean space to relax in.

If you use your computer for work, and your computer desktop is littered with files, create new folders, and organize the files you access daily. Whatever files you don’t need anymore, throw them in the trash. If you’re running low on storage space, purchase an external hard drive to store all of your photos and documents that you don’t regularly access. 

To declutter your brain, you can either meditate or write down all of your scattered thoughts onto the page of a journal. This will clear your mind and reduce your stress.

Hang Out With Your Pet

If you’re not in the mood to socialize with humans, your pet is the next best option. Not only do they love you unconditionally, but you can also trust them with all of your deepest secrets.

Playing with your dog or cat may help to release oxytocin, a chemical in your brain that increases your overall mood.

Here are some things you can do with your pet: cuddle on the couch and watch T.V., teach them a new trick, go for a walk, or throw a ball/play with their toys.

Get More Sleep

One negative effect of stress is that it can cause sleep deprivation. This is the beginning of a vicious cycle because once you miss out on sleep, your body will become even more stressed. 

If possible, finish any demanding work a few hours before going to sleep. This will allow your brain to slowly shut down and relax. Once you’ve completed your work for the day, partake in calming activities like watching a light-hearted T.V. show or taking a warm bath.

It’s also best to avoid any caffeine in the afternoon if you plan on getting to bed early.



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