One of the best ways to reduce stress is walking through the doors at your local gym. ‘Working up a sweat’ or ‘burning off some steam’ can help people refocus on the task at hand.
Online portal Greatist published an article documenting how a quick workout can improve productivity by up to 5-10%. So, if you’re struggling at work, and your schedule permits, engage in some exercise to try and give your mind the breather it needs to overcome to the stresses it’s experiencing.
Exercise can “help manage physical and mental stress” because the body “increases concentrations of norepinephrine, a chemical that can moderate the brain’s response to stress.” Thus, if you exercise, you are giving your body a better chance of dealing with the unwanted stress that you have encountered.
ADAA’s many studies have shown that exercise is effective in combatting other catalysts that cause stress. Regular exercise can “reduce fatigue, improve alertness and concentration, and enhance overall cognitive function.”
When a person is affected by stress it has a series of impacts on the whole body, thus the need for exercise, meditation, relaxation, acupuncture, and massage therapy can help. Even simple things like using a sauna after exercising can help reduce stress. Celebration Saunas explain that due to the developments in recent infrared sauna technology, they now give users “total comfort and whole body health,” while also providing other health benefits such as increase cardiovascular capabilities, detoxifying and helps alleviate muscle soreness.
Mayo Clinic even goes as far as saying exercise is like “meditation in motion,” for people suffering from stress. It allows people to forget about the irritations that have caused the stress and gives them a much needed release, which in turn improves one’s mood. Tensions are released and subjects become optimistic and tend to have a clearer perspective of the task at hand after exercise. Not only that, it also increases self-confidence which is a known relaxant.
The best thing to remember is to never take your stresses home, especially if they occur in the work place. Find ways to alleviate it. If you take them to bed with you, the likelihood is you won’t be able to sleep which can cause anxiety, sleep deprivation and lead to depression. Therefore, it’s important to stave these off by regular exercise to maintain a healthy body and mind in 2016 and beyond.
Image By Snehalkanodia (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
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