8 Habits that Stress You More

Sharon Moore December 13, 2013

Stressed out? Well, it’s Friday so you should be feeling a little relieved, at least. But did you know that most of us have plenty of habits that keep stressing them out, everyday? If you’re constantly feeling burned out, you probably keep on doing one or some of these stress-aggravating habits:

You’re sleeping badly.

It’s almost three in the morning but you’re still working. Three hours to go and your alarm clock will beep to mark the start of another hectic day in the office. If you think not getting enough sleep on weekdays and getting extra on weekends won’t do you harm, think again. Not only will it keep your stress levels high, it will also increase your risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes and other serious health problems. For your day to start right, make sure you had at least 7 or 8 hours of quality nighttime sleep.

You’re not getting rid of that phone, even for just a while.

Several studies have shown that too much technology use can cause more harm than good. One study, carried out by the University of Worcester in England, found that smartphones are causing some users to experience heightened anxiety when used for social interactions.

You’re not having enough sex.

Love-making is a great stress reliever. Princeton researchers have observed that rats who copulated daily had lower stress hormones than their less sexually active peers. During sex, your body releases oxytocin – the love hormone that stimulates the reward system of your brain.

You’re constantly exposing yourself to your stressors.

Don’t like crowd? Then avoid grocery shopping on a Sunday. Don’t feel like talking to a co-worker? Find a good excuse. Whilst we cannot completely avoid our daily stressors, we can do something to reduce their impact on our health.

You’re engaging to negative self-talk.

“I’m so stupid”, “I’m such a failure” – saying negative things to yourself can lower your self-esteem, which in turn aggravate your stress levels. Repetitive self-assurance or positive self-talk has been found to be helpful in reducing anxiety.

You say “yes” too much.

No, you can’t attend a friend’s party because you made a promise to your son that you’re going to be home the whole Saturday. It’s perfectly okay to say “no” to lighten the load of your personal responsibilities.

You’re eating too much fake food.

What you eat does have a huge impact on your body’s ability to fight stress. Eating calorie-dense junk foods can leave you feeling sluggish the whole day whilst eating something healthy will help you gain much energy to survive another stressful day.

You’re forgetting to laugh.

They say laughter is the best medicine. Laughter has been shown to relieve stress, stimulate blood flow, relax muscles, promote a healthy immune system and relieve pain.

You’re sitting too much.

Physical activity is a great antidote to stress. Regular exercise benefits your health and spirit in many ways. It makes you physically strong, mentally sharp, and emotionally resilient. According to Harvard Health Publications, exercise offers a unique capacity to exhilarate and relax, to provide stimulation and calm, to counter depression and dissipate stress. So get up and get moving!

Which among these stress-inducing habits are you guilty of?