Stress is a normal part of life. Many people feel stressed about school, work, family situations and romantic relationships. This is okay because sometimes stress is actually good for your mind and body. The stress of competition may bring out the best in you. Exercise stresses your body but it also makes you healthier and stronger. Stress can even be good for your environment. Redecorating or renovating is stressful but will make your home a peaceful place. However, many times, you have too much stress and your mind, body and home are severely affected. Even a minor stress can cause big problems if it is not resolved.
How Your Mind, Body, and Home are Connected
You may already know that your mind and body are intimately connected. How one feels has a huge impact on the other. But your home is also affected by your mental and physical state and vice versa. A cluttered room is often a manifestation of a cluttered mind. And if every time you step into your cluttered home and feel stressed, then your home is negatively impacting you.
How Stress Affects You
Not dealing with stress will make you physically sick. If you feel stressed, then your body reacts by producing a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol can be helpful in small doses, but when it is constant, it can lead to a whole host of problems. Your blood sugar can increase which leads to type 2 diabetes. You may gain weight (hello stress eating!) which can lead to obesity. Your immune system can become depressed, making you sick and less productive. On the flip side, you may not feel stressed mentally but if your body is not functioning properly then your mind will feel stress. For example, if you have migraines, chronic diseases or injuries then you may become depressed, anxious and angry because of the constant pain and limitations of your body. All of this leads to your home. Your home environment, whether it is an apartment, house or just one room, should be a place where you can recharge and relax. You should not feel stress every time you enter a room! Having a messy house or room might not seem like a big deal, but it can add to stress if you can’t find clothes or books you want or freak out anytime someone wants to visit. If you want to manage your stress so that your mind, body and house are at peace, then try these three things.
Yoga
Yoga is an excellent way to exercise and get in touch with your body. Your instructor will teach you how to connect with your breath and how to listen to your body. You will leave each session feeling relaxed and rejuvenated.
Meditating
Similar to yoga, you can focus on the breath when meditating. As you advance, you can learn how to let stressful, negative thoughts go and focus on solutions to problems and positive thoughts.
You might not feel like cleaning and picking up. However, having a peaceful environment to recharge in is extremely helpful in managing stress. Take a few minutes each day to pick up your room and toss the things you do not need. You may think being stressed only affects your mind, but it ties into your entire life. It affects your physical body and your environment. Taking the steps to manage stress is essential for your overall well-being. It will take patience and practice to bring all three into line, but when you do, you will feel amazing and able to take on whatever life brings.