What can you do if stress is a risk factor for you, but you don’ t currently have a stress reduction routine?

Helpguide.org, a non-profit and health advocacy group, state knowing HOW you get stressed, or your stress response, is key to identifying how to get out of it

• Overexcited stress response – If you tend to become angry, agitated, or keyed up under stress, you will respond best to stress relief activities that quiet you down.
• Under excited stress response – If you tend to become depressed, withdrawn, or spaced out under stress, you will respond best to stress relief activities that are stimulating and that energize your nervous system.
• Frozen stress response (both overexcited and under excited) – If you tend to freeze: speeding up in some ways while slowing down in others, your challenge is to identify stress relief activities that provide both safety and stimulation to help you “reboot” your system.

Perhaps engaging in meditation feels far fetched-and for some it feels that way. Some patients find great benefit in the relaxing and calm of tai chi, while others, the practice of yoga for its emphasis on balance breathing, even through times of physical stress or demand, is necessary.

Some of the tips I would add: Work with a partner, or a love one. This can be very beneficial to prevent a sense of isolation and improve your support network. I recommend you engage your senses- resting your hand on your diaphragm and feeling your breath pattern- allows you to first be aware of your shallow breath and engage your body to breath deep- you can see this working by the movement of your hand in and out.

Many techniques for stress reduction are beneficial. Finding one that resonates with you, is essential.