National Stress Awareness Month

April is Stress Awareness Month. Each April, 30 days are dedicated to getting the word out about stress awareness. According to the American Institute of Stress, 77 percent of Americans feel physical symptoms of stress on a regular basis. That number is way too high. People deal with stress every day and it impacts every aspect of life. Your personal, professional, and physical health are affected, and yet, many people don’t take the necessary measures to try and manage their stress. This April, set aside some time to control what is affecting you! Here are some great tips to handling your stress!

• Breathe: As simple as it sounds, breathing can be one of the most beneficial things you do for reducing stress. If you ever feel stressed out, take a minute, sit down and take a couple of long, deep breaths. This will help you clear your mind and slow your heart rate down.
  
  
• Get some exercise: Dedicate 30 minutes of your day to some yoga, going for a run or even just a walk! This wakes your body up. By increasing your endorphins you will feel twice as good and ready to take on whatever challenge comes next.
  
  
• Write it down: Start making a checklist of everything you want to accomplish and maybe some goals for the future. Having what you need to do on paper will make it much easier to remember what you have to do and crossing it off your list will give you a great feeling of accomplishment.
  
  
• Set aside “you” time: With all your running around, you probably feel selfish taking time for yourself. Don’t! Setting time aside to do what you like to do like watching a show or reading a book will make you feel happier and more satisfied with your day.
  
  

Implementing some of these tips in your daily routine can highly reduce stress in your life. While April is Stress Awareness Month, it is important to remember these tips year round, to keep yourself stress-free and functioning at 100%.

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