Stress and anxiety are common for people since they experience it almost daily in their lives. Apart from making your day worse, it could also affect your health if it's not managed the right way.

• When stress takes over your day, it's best to find ways on how to manage it or even prevent it before it sets in. Here are simple ways from Vacaville chiropractors on how you can relieve yourself from both stress and anxiety.

Steps you can take in Vacaville

1. Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine - If you can't avoid any products with these contents, you should at least limit your usage. Caffeine and nicotine are well-known stimulants, which could actually increase your stress levels instead of reducing it.
   • As for alcohol, it could become a depressant if you consume too much of it but can become a stimulant when taken in smaller quantities. So, if alcohol is your way of reducing stress, then it's a bad idea.
   • You can swap out alcohol and caffeine with healthier alternatives such as water, herbal teas, or diluted natural fruit juices. It's best to keep yourself hydrated since it allows your body to be better at fighting stress.
2.  Indulge in physical activity - When you're stressed, your body experiences an increase of stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol.
   • These hormones are designed to protect us from harm whenever our bodies are threatened. However, modern day stress can't be easily fought off by these bodily responses. Physical exercise can be used as an alternative to metabolize excessive stress hormones and put your body in a more relaxed state.
   • Whenever you feel stressed, try going for a brisk walk and get some fresh air. You can include some physical activities into your daily life before or after work. Doing this can also help you achieve quality sleep every night.
3. Get enough sleep - There's no doubt that lack of sleep can make you more stressful. Having stress can also make you sleepless since you're not relaxed enough to fall asleep.
   • Instead of relying on medication, you should maximize your relaxation before going to bed. Your bedroom should be a tranquil oasis that won't remind you of anything that can cause stress. Avoid taking caffeine at night or drink excessive alcohol since these can disturb your sleep. You should also limit any mentally demanding work before sleeping to calm your brain.
   • To make your night sleep pleasant, try taking a warm bath or do some book reading to relax your body and tire your eyes. These methods are effective in making you forget about the things that worry you. Lastly, aim to sleep the same time each day so that you'll train your mind and body to get used to a bedtime routine.
4. Keep a stress diary - Having a stress diary is a great management tool since you'll be more aware of the things and situations that cause you stress.
   • Write down the date, time, and place of each stressful episode, while also including what you're doing, the people you were with, and how you're feeling both physically and mentally. You should rate each episode and use this as a basis to understand your stress triggers and your response to these situations. This will help you be more prepared for the stressful situations and be able to cope better with it.
5. Take control - Stress can be triggered by a problem that you think is impossible to solve. You should find solutions to certain problems so that you'll feel in control, thus lowering your stress levels in the process.
   • One problem-solving method that's effective is for you to write down the problem and come up with as many solutions as you can. You should analyze the good and bad points of each solution so that you can finalize the best one. Additionally, write the necessary steps for that solution so that you'll know what to do when the moment comes.

So, take these steps into consideration to see how well it manages your stress. Remember, being stressed all the time is something that you don't want, so it's best that you always take control when the situation comes.