Simple Steps to Better Reduce Stress in Your Life & the Effects of Stress on Your Health

Everyone seems to be short on time and stressed in today's world. From workaholics to the "supermom" image, everyone has a full, if not overflowing, plate of daily tasks to complete. But what's the effect on health? Not surprisingly, long-term daily stress leaves our bodies fatigued and at risk for further complications such as cardiovascular illness. Moreover, stress tends to make many people more open to unhealthy ways of dealing with it, such as drinking or smoking. Read on below to learn about 10 simple steps you can take to reduce stress in your life or deal with it in a more positive manner.

Workaholics may need nudging from loved ones to take some much needed breaks throughout the day. Long hours of work and stress, combined with sitting for long periods, makes getting short breaks even more important. Even a mid-morning break and another one in the afternoon will go a long way to making a person feel better. Just that opportunity to get up from behind the desk, move a little, and take the mind off work worries for two or three minutes can make a real difference in how a person feels at the end of a long day.

Yes, we all know it, but how many of us actually do it? Time to stop putting it on your list of thing to do when you have time -- that day will never come. Instead, schedule it into your day, just like you do anything else. Then, don't move it. Treat it as you would any other appointment and work your schedule around it. Choose days and times that work best with both your schedule and your own body. Night owl? Try exercising after work in the evenings. Morning people may prefer getting up 30 minutes earlier. Try scheduling at least some of your exercise on the weekends if you are less busy on those days. Work with your schedule as much as possible, but don't keep shuffling your exercise times off to "later" or you'll never do it. Ideally, aim for 30 minutes of exercise three to five times per week. If that seems like to much time to commit, start with just 20 minutes three times a week. Every bit counts and that one hour of exercise every week is much better than doing nothing.

Water hydrates your body, giving you healthier skin, better digestion, lessening hunger and aiding your body in waste disposal. This is such a simple way to make yourself feel better -- it requires no extra time and will reduce stress by making your body operate better. Go ahead and sip on water throughout the day; it's the easiest way to immediately start taking better care of yourself.

Experts still aren't in complete agreement on this, but many suggest a daily multivitamin. At the worst, it won't work, but it has the potential to provide your body with a broad array of important nutrients. Go ahead and take a multivitamin every morning. It's another quick and easy way to safeguard your health without a big time investment.

People who are stressed by work, family and other commitments often let diet take a back seat to other demands, but this is a mistake. Your body is just like a car running on fuel. It has to have good fuel to give a good performance. Take care of yours by filling it with foods such as whole grains, vegetables, fruits, lean meats, low-fat dairy products and healthy fats such as olive oil. Don't succumb to the diet routines of doughnuts for breakfast or fast food for lunch. Not only will you maintain your weight more easily on a healthy diet, but you'll cut your risk for a host of other diseases such as heart problems and cancer.

Just because you're eating healthy doesn't mean you have to eat three square meals a day. In fact, many experts recommend eating smaller meals and adding at least two small, protein-rich snacks throughout the day. Good times for these snacks are mid-morning and again in the afternoon between lunch and dinner. This gives your body a more continuous supply of energy to complete the many demands of the day and the high protein provides a feeling of fullness longer than carbohydrate-rich foods do.

Smoking and drinking are common coping mechanisms for highly-stressed people, but these are some of the worst things you could do for your body. Unfortunately, they are also very difficult habits to break, so go slowly, be gentle with your body and be forgiving of yourself if you fall off the bandwagon. Try cutting back slowly, doing it with a friend for a little added peer pressure or joining a support group (try an online one if you don't have time to attend one near where you live or work). Stopping smoking will greatly improve your health and reduce your risk of many cancers, emphysema and a host of other problems. If you drink regularly, quitting will leave you feeling more awake in the mornings and more able to do things throughout the day without tiring.

Yes, this takes time, but not much and it's worth the peace of mind to know how you're holding up. If you haven't had a general physical in the last year, go get one now. See what your doctor says about your weight, your blood pressure and other general indicators of health. Listen to his recommendations and ask for suggestions as needed to be able to put those recommendations into practice in an easy, effective manner. This would be a good time to let him know if you are changing your eating or exercising habits, as he may have important considerations for your particular situation.

Write down your thoughts or feelings. When we're stressed, we can let feelings build up inside, making us feel anxious or depressed. If you don't regularly discuss your personal problems and feelings with other people, try writing them down in a journal. This is a simple yet effective way to get those emotions out of your head and make some sense of them as you think and write. It doesn't have to take long and doesn't even have to be done daily. Try doing it two or three times and week for even five minutes at a time.

The less sleep you have, the more stressed you feel emotionally and the more stressed your body is physically. Everyone needs around seven to eight hours of sleep per night. Get as close to this as you can and make sure those hours are restful. Kick out any pets that may move around and wake you up during the night, turn off all lights, even those little flickering computer or television lights and keep it quiet. If you have trouble falling asleep at night, establish a regular bedtime routine and don't lie in bed reading or watching television. Use your bed only for sleeping and your body will eventually get the hint. If you can't seem to shut your mind down at night, try writing in a journal for a few minutes before bedtime, as suggested above. This may make it easier for you to set aside any worries and relax mentally.

There you have it, 10 great ideas on how to lower your stress levels and deal better with the effects of daily stress on your mental and physical health. However, all the suggestions and tips in the world won't help one bit if you don't actually do any of them. If you feel overwhelmed by all the areas needing improvement, simply choose one thing to change and start with that. Choose the easiest item on your list and it won't seem like such a big deal. After you have successfully done that for one week, add another piece of the puzzle. Before you know it, you will have made several small changes, adding up to impressive improvements and lower stress levels.