It is not uncommon to find yourself frequently stressed and mentally tired. In fact, stress became a normal part of everybody’s life and day. However, given that stress has damaging effects on your body and health, a lot of solutions are needed to protect ourselves from it. Just like the body, the brain needs to be protected from stress. So what are some things you can do to protect your brain from stress? Here are 6 ways!
1- HAVE SOME CONTROL OVER THE SITUATION
Stress is unpredictable most of the times, therefore, it could be very helpful to create a routine. Every night try to plan the upcoming day and based on your plan set your wake up time and breaks. Knowing every step of your day could ease your mind and give you some control over the situation.
2- SLEEP WELL AND ENOUGH
Sleep difficulties can be one of the outcomes of stress, and being unable to sleep well could also lead to more stress. Sleep deprivation affects some parts of your brain especially the ones that handle higher-order functions, making them unable to work effectively. For this reason, having sleep habits that are healthy and routine are very helpful. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, drink less caffeine especially in the afternoon or before bed, and make sure that your sleep environment is relaxing.
3- ORGANIZE YOURSELF
Having an organized day helps you manage your workload reducing your stress levels. As we mentioned before, work on creating a to-do list that identifies the main tasks you’d want to do during this day and try to stick to it. Once you put the tasks on a paper, you will avoid feeling overwhelmed by the idea of having too much to do. It also gives you a clear vision about your endpoint and when you are finished for the day without making your brain feel bombarded and unorganized.
4- ASK FOR HELP IF YOU NEED TO
Asking for help doesn’t mean you are weak. It will help you become tougher and teach you how to manage stress and feeling overwhelmed protecting your brain’s health. Asking for help early will reduce any consequences caused by stress-related complications in the future.
5- CHANGE THE WAY YOU SEE STRESS
Stress has become an inevitable part of our life. In fact, some studies show that a little bit of stress is helpful for growth. Therefore rather than looking at stress as something that will destroy your life, try to minimize it and look at it as a motivation to improve.
6- GO OUT AND BE ACTIVE
Being active help reduce stress levels in your brain. The same goes for going out and being in a natural space. Take breaks between major tasks and go out for a walk of a minimum of 5 minutes. Practice some breathing techniques, breathing in and out many times until you feel better. You will see results instantly.
