The body’s natural defenses against stress break down with time, making it more important to manage stress effectively as we age. Learning to manage and reduce stress may help to reduce risk factors for disease and give us a better chance at longevity of life.

Surround Yourself With Positive Energy

People who engage in positive thinking have a lower risk of death and a longer lifespan. [1] Having a positive outlook and practicing gratitude helps to accentuate the good parts of your day or life which may allow you to handle stress much better.

Good friends and companions can change your perspective from negative to positive and share in responsibilities when things become overwhelming. One way to reduce stress is to spend quality time with people who make you happy and provide healthy emotional support. Positive energy can be contagious.

Listen to Uplifting Music

Have you ever had a song’s lyrics stuck in your mind? If those words are encouraging and inspirational, they can create a far better soundtrack than a running stream of complaints, criticisms, or self-limiting thoughts.

Music can provide a number of psychological advantages, including reducing stress.

• Research has found that listening to music can relieve stress by triggering biochemical stress reducers.
• Music can boost the brain’s production of the hormone dopamine. This increased dopamine production helps relieve feelings of anxiety and depression.
• Blood flows more easily when music is played. Music can also reduce heart rate, lower blood pressure, decrease cortisol (stress hormone) levels and increase serotonin and endorphin levels in the blood.

Breathe

The nervous system which controls our involuntary functions can be calmed by deep and relaxed breaths. When we are stressed, our breathing patterns can change. Paying attention to and learning to control breathing during periods of stress or anxiety can relax the body and keep stress at bay.

Many breathing exercises take only a few minutes. Take the time to experiment with different types of breathing techniques and put them to work the next time you have feelings of discomfort or agitation.

Put It to Practice

You may not be able to avoid stress altogether in life, but there are ways to reduce its impact. Surround yourself with positive people, listen to uplifting music, and practice deep breathing exercises when you feel stressed. These are all simple techniques that can make a big difference in your overall well-being.

Give them a try!

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Resources

Buigues C, Queralt A, De Velasco JA, et al. Psycho-social factors in patients with cardiovascular disease attending a family-centred prevention and rehabilitation programme: Euroaction model in Spain. Life. 2021;11(2):89. doi:10.3390/life11020089