Be a Stress-buster.
People react differently to stress, some people don’t seem to be bothered while others really struggle. We know that stress affects people in three main ways, Body, Thought and Actions.
Body: People get headaches, sore stomachs or even aches and pains all over their bodies.
Thoughts: Stress can make people really worry, feel sad or even begin to feel angry. Little things can begin to agitate us and we can get frustrated easily.
Actions: We can have trouble sleeping, can eat too much unhealthy food or even become isolated spending too much time alone.
Here is a few tips and tricks for dealing with stress:
Belly Breathing – It might sound funny but it really works. When you feel stressed, stop what you are doing and take a few deep breaths from as deep in your body as you can. This takes the focus away from your stress and instead thinking about your breathing.
Focus on what you can control – You can’t change having CHD but you can decide what exercise you are going to do, or what you are going to do with your weekend.
Challenge negativity – Ask yourself “Am I blowing this up bigger than it really is?” or ask “Will I still be worrying like this next week?” This can change your thoughts on something completely.
Keep a sense of humour – Don’t forget to laugh, even when stressed we can still laugh. Laughter is proven to make you feel better, we love watching videos of animals sneezing to cheer us up!
Sleep – Set yourself a bed time (and stick to it) and set alarms to get up after a good sleep.
Eat – Eat healthy meals, don’t skip meals.
Move – Get outside, breath in the fresh air and get some exercise.
Some of these tips may work for you, some may not but we hope you find whatever it is that helps you refocus your mind when your worried or anxious.
