Controlling stress levels and your lifestyle

One of the most common ailments that will affect all of us at one point or another is stress, and your strategy for controlling stress levels will make all the difference in your life.

One of our readers, Addison, recently sent us the following question:

Dear Dr. Manny,

I’m a mom of two small children and I work full time. I realize that my stress levels are out of control and I’m having a hard time concentrating. What can I do to stay healthy?

First of all, I cannot emphasize enough how important controlling stress it is to your health. Unbalanced stress levels can lead to other ailments such as heart disease, headaches, back pain, depression, diabetes and obesity.

However, there are things you can do to help with controlling stress along with avoiding the other ailments in your life. Exercise, meditation, yoga and diet modifications are all helpful in the process of controlling stress.
Most of these will not only help to manage stress, but will also add extra health benefits to your daily routine. Exercising will not only help you to feel calmer, but it can also do wonders for your waistline. Adding meditation or yoga to your routine will help you find extra downtime, while eating whole foods and avoiding sugar and carbohydrates can help keep stress levels in check and your diet balanced.

Another important element that often gets overlooked is organizing yourself and managing your time efficiently.

“Working parents have more on their to-do list than anyone else walking this planet,” Julie Morgenstern, professional organizer and author told FoxNews.com. “But there are things you can do to take control.”

“First, organize your physical spaces, especially in the hot spots: kitchen, front entry, bathroom, living room,” Morgenstern said. “Making sure everything has a really simple, well-labeled home to make it easy to find things and to put things away.”

“Two, automate the predictable. Shopping, cleaning, laundry, cooking – just simplify those routines, schedule them in your day or your week and then stop thinking about them,” Morgenstern said.

“And three – most importantly – make sure that the question you ask when you get home after a long day of work is not, ‘Why is this house a mess?’ but ‘Hey guys, how was your day?’ Starting every evening with love and calm will set the tone for a peaceful, stress-free evening,” she said.

Do you have a health question for Dr. Manny? Email us at [email protected]