Why stress reduction is important for your health and tips to help you reduce your stress levels
Stress is often mentioned when discussing physical health, mental health or work-life balance. So what actually is stress? Stress is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as "a state of worry or mental tension caused by a difficult situation." It is the perception of stress that matters, not the actual event. For example, one person may interpret an event as enjoyable while another person interprets the same event as stressful. Stress isn't always negative; for example, a small amount of stress can encourage you to try hard in school. Too much stress, however, can be harmful to your health.
Here are some ways stress affects us and strategies to manage stress...
Why Should We Care About Stress?
Decreased anti-inflammatory response: Chronic stress and the associated high levels of cortisol (stress hormone) in the body can cause a weakening of the body's anti-inflammatory response.
Gut Health: Chronic stress can contribute to an imbalance of the microbes in your gut and leaky gut (damage to the lining of the gut).
Sleep: Stress can disrupt your sleep and, therefore, your energy levels the next day.
Weight: Cortisol is associated with weight gain and can also increase cravings.
Telomere Shortening: Shorter telomeres have been associated with a higher incidence of DNA mutations, tumors, coronary artery disease and other infectious diseases.
“Telomeres are a protective casing at the end of a strand of DNA. Each time a cell divides, it loses a bit of its telomeres. An enzyme called telomerase can replenish it, but chronic stress and cortisol exposure decrease your supply. When the telomere is too diminished, the cell often dies or becomes pro-inflammatory. This sets the aging process in motion, along with associated health risks.” Stacy Lu with Elissa Epel
Stress Reduction Tips:
Spend time in nature: It was found that 20-30 minutes in nature can reduce stress levels [3].
Clean up your living or work environment
Get creative: Finding your own creative expression is a great way to get out of your head. This could be anything from cooking, playing an instrument or painting.
Try journaling
Light physical movement: It was found that physical movement can help decrease the levels of stress hormones in your body [4].
Try an Ultra-radian Break: Known as a URB, these well-studied breaks can help reduce stress, while increasing productivity.
Meditation and deep breathing: This kicks your parasympathetic nervous system into action to help you relax.
Get quality sleep: Seven to nine hours of sleep is ideal for a good night's sleep. Having a strong sleep hygiene (habits associated with your bedtime/sleep) is very important for a good night's sleep. A bedtime routine that includes decreasing blue light exposure and winding down about 30 minutes before bed can do wonders.
Try yoga
Laugh: Believe it or not, laughing can actually decrease your stress response [5].
1. World Health Organization. (2023, February 21). Stress.
2. Lu, S. (2014, October 1). How chronic stress is harming our DNA. Monitor on Psychology,
3. Harvard Health Publishing. (2019, July 1). A 20-minute nature break relieves stress.
4. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. (2021, October). Stress and Health.
5. Mayo Clinic. (2021, March 18). Stress relievers: Tips to tame stress.
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