De-stress this stress with Science: An A-List of science-backed ways to combat

anxiety and stress

Forget taking a chill pill, doing fuzzy stress-relieving rituals, for these science-backed techniques
will help you de-stress from distress of the daily grind.

Many of us are often associating stress with anxiety, negative bodily kinesthetic that often resort to
depression, however, indeed, stress is natural – yes, natural. Stress is the body’s way of responding to any
kind of demand or threat. When it senses danger—whether it’s real or imagined—the body’s defenses kick
into high gear in a rapid, automatic process known as the “fight-or-flight” reaction or the “stress response.”
However, our nervous system has its limitations distinguishing between emotional and physical threats.

If you tend to get stressed out frequently due to the unavoidable demands of this world, the body
tend to exist in a heightened state of stress most of the time possibly leading to serious health problems.
This everyday battle that people often encounter is scientifically being termed as ‘chronic stress’, disrupting
nearly every system in your body. It can suppress your immune system, upset your digestive and
reproductive systems, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, and speed up the aging process. It can
even rewire the brain, leaving you more vulnerable to anxiety, depression, and other mental health
problems.

In order to endure such phenomenon frequently happening to our body, here are some
scientifically-proven ways in order to counteract the dreadful attacks of chronic stress:

‘MEDITATION IN MOTION’: ENGAGE TO PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES

It may sound contradicting, but ‘an ounce’ of physical stress on your body through exercise can relieve
‘a liter’ mental stress. Exercise in almost any form can act as a stress reliever. Being active can boost your
feel-good endorphins and distract you from daily worries.

According to the Mayo Clinic in the US, exercise relieves stress by pumping up endorphin levels by
lowering down body's stress hormones — such as cortisol — in the long run, and forcing the brain to focus
on movement alone.

Canadian researchers reported that those who cycle to work display far lower levels of stress within the
first 45 minutes of work than those who commute by car or public transport. Other studies have indicated
that how stressed you feel in the early morning affects stress levels throughout the day.

Virtually any form of exercise, from aerobics to yoga, can act as a stress reliever. If you're not an athlete
or even if you're out of shape, you can still make a little exercise go a long way toward stress management.
Just like what the old saying goes, just a sudden groove of body can shake up stress levels down!

‘AVOIDING A CUP OF COFFEE CAN REDUCE A LIFETIME OF STRESS’: REDUCE CAFFEINE

Many of us may resort to drinking coffee or caffeinated drinks to keep ourselves mentally stable and
awake in times of heavy grind – however, caffeine, its primary chemical component is an active stimulant
and pharmacological tool to increase energy and effortful behavior in daily activities leading to chances of
anxiety due to increase of cortisol production in the body.

In order to reduce cortisol production, caffeine intake must also be taken in consideration. Experts show
that it’s the quickest way to reduce cortisol production and elevate the production of DHEA, the leading
anabolic youth hormone. Researches showed that 200 mg of caffeine (one 12 oz mug of coffee) increases
blood cortisol levels by 30% in one hour! Cortisol can remain elevated for up to 18 hours in the blood. This
is the best step to immediately decrease your catabolic metabolism and increase your anabolic metabolism.

There are other alternatives for coffee that someone can sip in order to reduce stress and give the
‘caffeasco’ feeling. These include teas, probiotics and other caffeine-excluded drinks.

‘FAST FACTS’: OTHER EFFECTIVE WAYS OF COMBATTING STRESS AND ANXIETY

Aside from the aforementioned tips, the following are the other tips that will help in reducing stress a
step by step:

1. Play video games: ‘’Kakokompyuter mo ‘yan!’’, maybe our mothers keep on saying the same line again
and again, but playing video games are proven to reduce stress, which flies in the face of those who blame
all our ills on screens. According to University of Central Florida Cognitive psychologists, researches have
shown that frazzled workers benefit more from playing a simple video game during a short work break than
sitting in silence or taking part in guided relaxation which is backed by studies indicating that military
veterans who regularly play computer games as a means of escape tended to have served longer and cope
better with physical and psychological stressors.

2. Walk with nature: People who live in more natural environments tend to have lower levels of cortisol
and fewer signs of chronic stress. Also, the concept of Shinrin-yoku – meaning ‘forest bathing’ – has proven
through its studies that woodland environments lower cortisol, pulse rate and blood pressure.

3. Get hitched and be with everyone: Indeed, in our lives, when we tend to be alone, there’s a higher risk
for us to get lonely, and have our stress get worse. According to studies in Carnegie Mellon University,
which was published in 2017, showed that married couples have consistently lower levels of the stress
hormone cortisol. This is backed with a study that emphasizes that isolation is strongly associated with
increased blood pressure as well as higher cortisol levels.

‘UNPOPULAR OPINION’: A CUP OF TEA CAN DEBUNK MYTHS ABOUT STRESS MANAGEMENT

It’s the classic British response to a crisis: “Would you like a cup of tea?”. And there is some evidence
suggesting it provides more than a psychological boost.

Research from University College London found that people who drink black tea become relaxed more
quickly after a stressful task, and their cortisol levels return to normal at a faster rate.

There is still uncertainty about which tea ingredient accounts for this, but separate Portuguese research
has indicated that the weak concentration of caffeine found in tea reduces anxiety symptoms in mice!
Drinking tea is also a slow, calm activity. That is something more people with anxiety need. Tea varieties
include: Green Tea (Camella Sinensis), Rose tea (Rosa centifolia), the classic Chamomile Tea (Matricaria
Recutita). These teas are natural muscle relaxants with anti-anxiety benefits.

However, it doesn’t stop here, for teas are also around to debunk myths about stress management – teas
that aren’t just stimulants of de-stress but also of truths. The following are some myths and the teas about
stress management according to American Psychological Association:

MYTH: Stress is always bad for you.

TEA: According to this view, zero stress makes us happy and healthy. Wrong. Stress is to the human
condition what tension is to the violin string: too little and the music is dull and raspy; too much and the
music is shrill or the string snaps. Stress can be the kiss of death or the spice of life. The issue, really, is
how to manage it. Managed stress makes us productive and happy; mismanaged stress hurts and even
kills us.

MYTH: Stress is everywhere, so you can't do anything about it.

TEA: Not so. You can plan your life so that stress does not overwhelm you. Effective planning involves
setting priorities and working on simple problems first, solving them, and then going on to more complex
difficulties. When stress is mismanaged, it's difficult to prioritize. All your problems seem to be equal and
stress seems to be everywhere.

MYTH: No symptoms, no stress.

TEA: Absence of symptoms does not mean the absence of stress. In fact, camouflaging symptoms with
medication may deprive you of the signals you need for reducing the strain on your physiological and
psychological systems.

Myth 4: The most popular techniques for reducing stress are the best ones.

TEA: Again, not so. No universally effective stress reduction techniques exist. We are all different, our lives
are different, our situations are different, and our reactions are different. Only a comprehensive program
tailored to the individual works.

As mentioned, everyone has his/her own varying ways of adapting and managing stress. Indeed, stress
is different for each of us. What is stressful for one person may or may not be stressful for another; each of
us responds to stress in an entirely different way. But whatever stress you are with, stress and anxiety may
arise in your workplace and personal life anytime, but there are many simple ways to reduce the pressure
you feel. Exercise, mindfulness, music and physical intimacy can all work to relieve anxiety and just a matter
of self-control and faith— and they will improve your overall work-life balance as well.

As the odd saying goes, it may be stressful at the start, it will still be stressful until the end – if you
will just sit on the corner drowning yourself to the worldly stress and not give yourself relief.