Wise Ways To Unwind

The temptation to deal with stress in unhealthy ways, such as smoking a cigarette or drinking alcohol, can be powerful. However, the short-term relief those activities may provide comes with an uneven tradeoff: a higher risk for long-term health problems, such as weight gain, high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer. Try these healthier ways to combat stress.

Your Vice: Cigarettes

1. Take a walk. This takes you away, if only briefly, from whatever is stressing you out and gets you exercise, which releases mood-boosting endorphins, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.
2. Practice deep breathing. Consider this: When a smoker inhales, he or she takes a long, deep inhale and then exhales slowly. That alone can be relaxing. Deep breathing boosts your brain's oxygen supply and slows your heart rate. Once the relaxation response kicks in, muscle tension relaxes and blood pressure decreases, according to The American Institute of Stress.
3. Get help. Giving up cigarettes isn't something many can achieve without help. When you commit to quit, visit your doctor for help and additional resources.

Your Vice: Alcohol

1. Find a new "third place." You may view happy hour as a relaxing interlude between the pressures of work and responsibilities at home. Stopping at a coffee shop for a cup of Joe might turn out to be just as relaxing. Or join a gym — you'll get exercise and you can socialize, two ways to release endorphins.
2. Unwind with tea. For many, the simple act of kicking back for 15 to 20 minutes at home is what's most relaxing about an after-work drink. See if a nonalcoholic beverage brings the same relief.
3. Find support. Never hesitate to visit your doctor if you think you need help with a serious drinking problem.

You go to yoga class twice a week, your relationships with friends and family are strong, and you practice deep breathing whenever you start to feel overwhelmed. So why do you still feel under siege from stress?

Stress can be persistent — it may refuse to fade into the background of your life despite everything you try. Ask your primary care provider for help with a coping strategy, if you experience any of the following stress-related symptoms:

• anxiety
• back pain
• chest pain
• depression
• difficulty sleeping
• digestive distress, such as nausea or diarrhea
• fatigue
• fraying relationships
• headaches
• weight gain or loss

It could be DNA stress, not life stress, to blame for your fading locks. According to the journal Cell, ultraviolet radiation, environmental pollutants and other aging processes are thought to damage DNA in cells responsible for hair color.

Whether you're struggling to manage stress or need help giving up cigarettes or alcohol, a primary care provider can help.

Back