When I was gathering resources for my first stress portfolio, one picture left a deep impression. It says: “there are only two times I feel stress: day and night.” Yes, stress exists along with our whole life; it may seem that there is nothing that we can do about stress. The homework and exams will keep coming, there is endless study and work in the day, and our career and family responsibilities will always be demanding. However, the good news is that stress can be managed. The simple realization that you are in control of your life is the foundation of stress management. Managing stress is all about taking charge of your thoughts, emotions, schedules, and the way you deal with problems.
Stress is not always bad. Eustress can be beneficial; however, more times we are suffering from distress which causes health consequences, affecting the immune, cardiovascular and neuroendocrine and central nervous systems, and takes a severe emotional toll. For this stress management plan, I’ll go through five main aspects which are nutrition, exercise, rest and sleep, relaxation, and developing hobbies to help manage daily stress.
Nutrition
Stress and nutrition have always been linked. Well-nourished bodies are better prepared to cope with stress. Eating well through the day is my first stress dealing strategy.
Start right with breakfast. There are a lot of times I do not feel hungry or do not have enough time to cook a nutritious breakfast in the morning. Usually I just end up with grabbing a piece of bread with a slice of turkey or ham, and then hurry to class. According to the research, breakfast is considered as the most important meal of the day; it helps to kick start metabolism for the day and also helps to stabilize blood sugar levels which will in turn reduce stress. So instead of waking up my body with a cup of coffee, I would drink some warm water and fruit juice. Also, having a whole-grain cereal and eggs would help me gain better