Being active, watching what you eat and making simple lifestyle changes can help reduce heartburn, as well as improve your morale and your health in general. Even the smallest step can lead to big benefits – living healthy is not as hard as you might think. So, start today and feel the best you’ve ever felt.
Managing Stress
Take care of yourself. Get plenty of sleep. Eat properly. Get active. These are the four most powerful measures you can take to keep stress in its place.
Here are a few others:
- Exercise regularly. Exercise could be the single best stress-reliever. Vigorous exercise encourages the body to relax, ridding the bloodstream of tension-causing hormones. Even activities as simple as taking a walk or gardening can help relieve stress for many people. Yoga and weight training are also helpful in improving breathing and reducing stress.
- Learn to relax. Relaxation techniques can lower your blood pressure, heart rate and breathing rate and relax tense muscles. Most are based on simple breathing exercises that can easily be done whenever the need arises.
- Share your feelings. Talking to family and friends about your problems and feelings can help you over rough spots.
- Focus. You can't be in control of everything at all times. Zero in on the factors you can control, and keep your distance from those you can't.
- Don’t be too hard on yourself. No one is perfect. Making mistakes is a normal part of life. Learning to accept them can go a long way to easing stress.
- Be good to yourself. Take time out to enjoy life’s pleasures. Go to a movie or out for dinner. Visit with friends whose company you enjoy. Everyone deserves a break once in awhile.
- Put your knowledge to work. The more you know about stress and what causes it, the better equipped you’ll be to control it. Speak with others who have gone through similar stressful periods in their lives. Read up on the topic. Surf the Internet. Learn all you can.
- Talk to your doctor. He or she will be able to suggest additional ways to help you effectively cope with stress and your specific symptoms.
