Lower Your Blood Pressure With Simple Solutions That Give You a Better Quality of Life!

When you have high blood pressure, you’re given the diagnosis of hypertension by your doctor. It can be scary, considering the effects it can have on your body and overall health. But you might not really know what high blood means – or exactly how dangerous it really is.

 

What Is Blood Pressure – And What’s Normal?

Blood pressure is how strong the pressure is when the blood flows through your arteries. It shouldn’t be too strong, or too low, either – there’s a happy medium. You probably know the perfect reading for healthy people – 120 (systolic blood pressure) over 80 (diastolic blood pressure). Technically, it’s written as 120/80 mmHg.

That number is supposed to be even lower in most cases where the patient has suffered previous health conditions such as a stroke or heart problem. Even kidney issues can result in your need for even lower blood pressure readings.

What happens when your blood pressure is off is that those numbers begin to change – sometimes by a little, other times by a lot.  Once you get to the 140/90 range, your doctor will diagnose you as having high blood pressure and urge you to make changes.

There’s a range in between 120/80 and 140/90 that’s known as pre-hypertension. That just means you’re teetering dangerously close to having full-blown high blood pressure.

 

What Causes Changes In Blood Pressure Readings?

Your blood pressure can fluctuate to some degree, even when you just walk into the doctor’s office if you’re nervous. But it won’t change too much unless you’ve been suffering some varying health conditions.

As you get older, your blood pressure might naturally begin to increase. Your blood vessels aren’t as flexible when you’re older – they tend to become more rigid.

• Overweight individuals have more instances of hypertension.

• Your hormones changing can affect your blood pressure levels.

• Genetics play a role in whether or not you have hypertension.

• Stress and anxiety can cause spikes in your blood pressure.

• Diabetics experience more instances of high blood pressure.

• Salt is a contributing factor to high blood pressure readings.

• The shape of your blood vessels will help or hurt your blood pressure.

• If your kidneys are in bad shape, it can cause high blood pressure.

• Smokers see a diagnosis of hypertension more often than non-smokers.

• Overloading on alcohol can mean high blood pressure readings.

• A Potassium deficiency or Vitamin D deficiency contributes to hypertension.

• African Americans have to worry more about hypertension.

Here’s something scary – in most cases (90-95%), there’s no formal cause found for your high blood pressure! They call this phenomenon essential (primary) hypertension. All they know is that your heart has to work much harder to pump blood through your body.

Secondary hypertension is when high blood pressure levels are caused by another medical condition, like kidney disease.

 

What’s Dangerous About High Blood Pressure?

When hypertension is diagnosed, you have to be on the lookout for symptoms of a heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure. In other words – high blood pressure can kill you – it’s as simple as that.

That’s why it’s imperative that you get it under control fast and for the long-term – because you don’t need or want the stress of worrying about your expiration date on this planet!

Don’t trick yourself into believing that a small rise in numbers isn’t harmful, either. Even a moderate raise shortens your lifespan.

Whenever you’re diagnosed, your doctor may ask you to make some common lifestyle changes. If that doesn’t work, then medications may be prescribed to help lower your blood pressure. In some instances, your hypertension may be labeled resistant if medication doesn’t lower your readings.

 

Signs to Watch Our for With Hypertension

Your body will begin to suffer reactions whenever your blood pressure starts to rise, but only when it gets severe. For the most part, it’s a silent killer – because people aren’t aware of it until they go to their doctor for a check-up and find out it’s elevated then.

By the time you’re aware of it, it’s already started wreaking havoc on your health. One form of high blood pressure (known as malignant hypertension), does show symptoms when an onset of elevated blood pressure occurs.

You might experience:

• Nosebleed

• Vomiting

• Confusion

• Extreme headache

• Swelling in legs

• Nausea

• Change in eyesight

• Confusion

 

Monitoring Your Blood Pressure Levels

The first time you find out that you have hypertension, you might be in the doctor’s office for your annual check-up. He or she will usually have you come back in about a week or so to re-check your blood pressure reading.

They don’t give you a label after one high reading. You’ll be checked two or more times and then you can continue monitoring your blood pressure at home with one of the over-the-counter devices that are easy to use and automated for your convenience.

Upon diagnosis, your doctor will look for other signs of hypertension – changes to your body that affect the eyes, your heart, and other areas.

 

Addressing a High Blood Pressure Diagnosis

The good news is, this is something you can usually get under control easily! So your first option is to control your blood pressure readings on your own using diet, exercise, stress relief and other measures to knock the numbers down to a healthy range.

If that doesn’t work, then your doctor may prescribe medication. But let’s learn about things that are in your control when it comes to lifestyle changes. Don’t be afraid moving forward – 1 in 3 grown Americans (63 million) are diagnosed with hypertension, so you’re not alone.

Changing Your Diet to Control High Blood Pressure

It’s so hard to make dietary changes, even if it’s just because we want to fit into our high school jeans or look good for a reunion. But knowing you have to change – or possibly die too soon – lights a fire under you to succeed.

There are five dietary elements we’re going to concentrate on. After diet, you’ll also want to implement a few other changes to your daily routine – and we’ll cover each one of those individually.

Usually, people who adopt better lifestyle changes (including dietary revisions) see improvement in their numbers within 14 days of altering their routines. And you’ll see side benefits as well, such as weight loss and lower cholesterol levels for your LDL readings.

Limit Your Alcohol

When it comes to alcohol intake, the news can be a little confusing. One day they’re telling you that drinking it can benefit your health, and the next they’re advising you to steer clear.

But like most things – the key is simple moderation. For healthier blood pressure readings, stick to just 1 alcoholic drink per day for women and 2 for men. It’s that easy!

Blood pressure is affected by alcohol in short spikes and over a long period of time. If you drink 3 or more alcohol-laden drinks in one sitting, you’ll see a short spike. But long-term binge drinkers see a steady increase in their hypertension, too.

People suffering from high blood pressure ideally will eliminate alcohol completely. But if you can’t come to terms with that, then at the very least drink it in moderation where you have one 12 ounce beer, one 5 ounce glass of wine, or a 1.5 ounce mixed drink (80-proof).

It’s not good to drink high caloric alcohol drinks if weight is an issue for you. It contributes to putting on pounds and then affects your blood pressure, too. And if your doctor has put you on medication for your blood pressure already, then it could hamper its ability to treat your numbers!

What kind of change can you expect when you reduce or eliminate your alcohol intake? A couple of digits will be lowered (1-4), but much of that depends on what level of consumption you had as well as your age and other factors.

Use a Healthy Amount of Salt and Drink More Water

There are two numbers you need to know when it comes to salt intake – 2,300 and 1,500 mg/day. The first number is the highest recommended salt intake given by the National High Blood Pressure Education Program. The other number is what you should strive to achieve.

What do you think your intake currently is? If you’re like most Americans, it’s probably anywhere between 3,300 and 4,200 mg per day – but it could even be higher than that because sodium is in most products we consume, and it’s hard to weed it out of your diet.

Your kidneys process the salt that you take in. And if you take in more than the kidneys can process, it causes fluid pressure to build up against your artery walls, spiking blood pressure.

If this happens often enough over time, your blood vessel walls get thicker to handle the pressure being exerted against it, but that narrows your arteries, which eventually hurts your heart because it has to work even harder to try to push the blood flow through your body.

It’s tough to start out reducing your salt intake. Foods will initially taste as if they’re not salted enough. But time heals in the case of salt cravings – and eventually you’ll regain the taste of the original food flavors, where the addition of salt seems excessive to you, even in small amounts.

Your body needs some salt, so don’t go to extremes and eliminate it completely. Reduction and moderation are key to improved blood pressure readings when it comes to sodium.

Start reading labels to see what volume of sodium is included. Items like processed deli meats are packed with salt. But you’ll also find it in places you’d never expect to see salt – like an over the counter antacid!

If you think you might be somewhat of a salt addict, then start out by lowering your intake to the maximum level allowed and then work your way down to a more moderate intake over time.

As you read previously, your kidneys are what help you manage the salt your body takes in through the foods that you eat. In order to function properly, your kidneys need a lot of water throughout the day to operate healthy.

Take a break from sodas and other drinks and start consuming more water throughout your day. Drink a glass before meals to help you feel fuller, and sip on it whenever you feel thirsty.

Add Plenty of Potassium, Magnesium, and Calcium

You want to take a multi-pronged approach to ensure you get enough potassium, magnesium and calcium in your diet. Let’s cover each one individually so that you can see how it affects blood pressure and how you can add it into your diet.

It’s advised that you take in 4,700 milligrams of potassium each day. Potassium is what counters the effects of salt in your body. How can you get more of this into your food plan? Choose among these foods that are rich in potassium:

• Mushrooms
• Bananas
• Potatoes (sweet and other types)
• Greens (spinach, mustard, collard, or turnip for example)
• Yogurt (go with a low fat or fat free option)
• Fish (tuna or halibut are good options)
• Melons (honeydew or cantaloupe)
• Broccoli
• Carrots
• Fruit (apricots, oranges, prunes and grapefruits or their juice counterparts)
• Raisins or dates
• Kale
• Squash
• Tomatoes (low sodium if you’re adding it via sauce or juice options)
• Beans (limaor green)
• Molasses
• Milk (only skim or low fat)
• Peas

Can you overdo it on potassium? Only if you’re elderly or have kidney issues. Steer clear of potassium supplements unless your doctor prescribes them.  They can be harmful to people suffering from specific medical conditions.

Let’s move on to magnesium. This mineral is thought to help with lowering blood pressure, too. Many of the same foods that contain a lot of potassium also have an ample amount of magnesium in them. Adults should take anywhere from 310 to 420 mg per day of magnesium.

Here are some you should add into your diet in addition to the ones already on your potassium list previously:

• Cashews or almonds
• Readymade pudding
• Soybeans
• Oatmeal
• Black Eyed peas
• Avocados
• Kidney beans

Moving on to calcium, you’ll notice that many of the items listed in the potassium and magnesium lists also deliver an abundance of calcium to your diet. Studies show that you should add approximately 1,000 mg of calcium each day to improve blood pressure readings.

In addition to the yogurt, milk, leafy green, orange juice and soybeans already found on the two previous lists (which are rich in calcium), here are a few others to add to your daily food plan:

• Cheese (low fat or skim)
• Calcium fortified foods such as cereals, breads or soymilk.
• Sardines

Increase Fruits and Vegetables, But Limit Meat and Sugar

When it comes to fruits and vegetables, many have already been listed previously for you. They’re full of fiber and lots of nutritious elements that contribute to the process of lowering your blood pressure.

But let’s talk about meat – a central item to many people’s meals, even if it is only supposed to resemble a side dish portion. If you can, try to add a few meatless days into your weekly menu planning.

The meat substitute products on the market now are very flavorful, such as the soy-based crumbles as a substitute for hamburger meat tacos. Just make sure you choose low sodium taco seasoning, low fat or skim cheese, and add avocados and tomatoes on top for a perfect blood pressure friendly meal!

If you eat meats like beef and chicken, then make sure you go for lean cuts. They cost a little more, but that’s okay – because you shouldn’t be eating a huge platter of meat when trying to lower blood pressure anyway. A small 5-ounce filet mignon plated with plenty of vegetables and whole grain rice is a perfect pairing.

Sugar is just as much a culprit in boosting your blood pressure as salt is. Try cutting back on sodas if you drink them throughout the day. Studies show that even cutting out 6 ounces (that’s half a can) from your consumption of sodas has a positive effect on your blood pressure.

Scientists haven’t yet nailed out the exact reason why sugar contributes to increased blood pressure readings, but it could be because sugar causes your body to hold onto salt, and salt has a direct effect on your hypertension diagnosis.

Try cutting back on sugar to see what kind of effect it has on your own personal blood pressure readings. Switch to dietary sugar options or just moderate your consumption of sugar.

Rev Up Your Fiber Intake

People who don’t eat enough fiber often suffer from diabetes and heart disease. Alternatively, those who up their fiber intake see a reduction in high blood pressure numbers.

Not all fiber is the same – there’s soluble and insoluble fiber (soluble dissolves in water, but insoluble absorbs the water). You need both in your diet. Studies have shown that your systolic (top number) blood pressure can be reduced by eating more insoluble fiber (like whole wheat or brown rice), and the bottom number was lowered with any type of fiber additions.

Soluble fiber is found in barley and oats, fruit (both dried and fresh), and legumes. Insoluble fiber can be taken in through the addition of whole grains and wheat foods – as well as some vegetable choices.

So for this step, don’t look at what has to be cut out of your diet – look at what you get to add into your daily meals – things like:

• Fresh vegetables

• Whole wheat bread, rolls, pasta, muffins, or bagels

• Almonds

• Whole grain cereal

• Grits

• Popcorn

• Oatmeal

• Beans

• Brown rice

• Pretzels

One word of advice, though. While you want to make fast changes to your blood pressure readings, adding too much too soon to your diet in the way of fiber might cause you to suffer an upset stomach. People have reported bloating whenever they upped their fiber intake dramatically all at once.

Easing Into the Dietary Mindset 

When you’re diagnosed with a health condition and are told you have to make changes, the rigid restrictions can be very depressing. Food is a part of our cultural activities, it provides comfort – and we enjoy it!

Think of this task as what you have to add, rather than what you have to cut out. If you’re adding more whole grains and fruit, you won’t be hungry for more sugar-laden or salt-heavy carbs – it’s a nice side effect.

But do become aware of what you’re putting into your body, because some of the things that help this silent killer are snuck into your food sources where you wouldn’t even think they would be lurking.

Adding Exercise to Lower Your Blood Pressure

While dietary measures are one proactive step you can take in lowering your blood pressure, it’s not the only effective thing you can do to ward off increased hypertension. Exercise is another tactic you can do to improve your health and lower your numbers.

People who are sedentary notably have increased blood pressure. Statistics show they’re 30-50% more likely to have hypertension than people who frequently move their bodies throughout the day.

Many people use exercise as a way of improving their looks via weight loss. But even if you don’t lose weight, exercise can still offer you the ability to lower your blood pressure.

How Does Exercise Benefit Blood Pressure?

When you’re diagnosed with high blood pressure, your doctor will probably recommend a combination of lifestyle changes. When exercise is discussed, it will be aerobic exercise that helps reverse hypertension.

Aerobic exercise is running, bike riding, or swimming laps. But all types of exercise have a positive effect on your blood pressure – and studies show that you don’t have to overdo it to get results, either. But if you’re already diagnosed with hypertension, then aerobic exercise has shown to help more.

Your blood pressure numbers could drop anywhere from 6 to 10 mm Hg if you have hypertension. Those who already have healthy blood pressure numbers won’t see much change with added exercise, but it’s keeping problems at bay.

Your age might determine how helpful exercise is, too. The older you are, the lower the chance that exercise will lower your systolic blood pressure. But both numbers matter, so make sure you’re developing a good lifelong habit.

Is Exercise Dangerous When You Have High Blood Pressure?

If you’re worried about the common spike of blood pressure during exercise, then ask your doctor to ensure its safety. Usually there’s a normal level of increase and something considered abnormal, which could point to more deadly artery disease.

Those with definite hypertension already might be advised to take it easy, gradually increasing intensity as they get stronger. There are things you can do that could make things worse when it comes to exercise, such as over-exerting yourself. There’s no need to overdo it when moderate exercise works just as well, if not better. Make sure you use a heart monitor to see how your body is handling it.

Your doctor may have specific instructions about your exercise, depending on the overall state of your health as well as the medication that you’re on. And obviously, stop exercising if you experience chest pain, dizziness, or other severe symptoms that are cause for alarm.

How to Add Exercise to Your Daily Regimen

Barring any specific limitations on your exercise from your doctor, there are ways you can add it to your routine each day to help improve your blood pressure readings. You want to get your doctor’s opinion on how much exercise you can do.

Make sure you also find out which types of exercise he or she recommends, if there are any activities you need to steer clear of, and how your medications (if any) will react to your new schedule.

You want to add a stretching, warm up and strengthening element to your workouts for overall health and injury prevention, but for blood pressure, aerobic activity is what will benefit you most.

Aside from those previously mentioned, you can also use a jump rope, go rollerblading, or invest in a rowing machine. Any activity that gets your heart pumping and allows your body to maximize its use of oxygen will help your hypertension.

If it’s difficult for you to get started, then try beginning with 30 minutes of exercise, every other day. Then work up to a daily schedule, adding more time as you feel stronger and your readings improve.

How to Stick With It

Very few people jump for joy when the word “exercise” is mentioned. It’s usually seen as a chore rather than a benefit. But if you choose activities that you enjoy, it can change the game for you and help you stay on course.

Aerobic exercise doesn’t mean you have to walk on a treadmill day after day. You can join groups and think outside the box to participate in activities that you look forward to, rather than dread.

Smoking Cessation Contributes to Healthy Blood Pressure

One of the lifestyles that you can make, if it applies to you, is to quit smoking if you do. And of course, never start up if you don’t yet. Some people who have smoked for years find the thought of stopping too daunting, but many people succeed and with the myriad of options you have at your disposal now, there’s no reason not to try.

How Does Smoking Affect Blood Pressure Readings?

Smoking has a two-pronged effect on your blood pressure readings. It actually isn’t the specific direct cause of elevated blood pressure, except temporarily. But it does contribute to the downfall of your blood vessels and heart health, which in turn cause blood pressure to rise.

When you smoke, the arteries harden quicker – and your blood pressure temporarily increases by approximately 10 mm Hg. This last for about 60 minutes after each cigarette.

That doesn’t sound so bad, does it? But consider the fact that most smokers whip out a cigarette several times throughout the day and then you see how the person is suffering from a consistent spike in blood pressure continually.

Choose a Method to Quit Smoking

Quitting is hard. But not impossible – and once you succeed, you’ll be so glad you gave it a shot. It doesn’t matter if you’ve tried for years to quit, either. Keep it up and one day you’ll be able to give it up for good.

Perhaps the most daunting method of smoking cessation is what’s called “going cold turkey.” That means you just stop – without using smoking cessation aids. That’s hard, but many people succeed this way.

In fact, of those who succeeded, three studies show that “cold turkey” was the method used by 76-88% of the people who gave up cigarettes forever. That’s a good percentage rate.

Some use a gradual elimination of cigarettes, slowly going from 2 packs a day to 1 pack, to 3 cigarettes per day, and finally none.

There are also nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) that you can try to help you give up the habit. These include medications that wean you off of nicotine gradually. NRT comes in several different variations.

You may want to try whatever you feel would best suit you and if that doesn’t work, try another. Don’t give up after just one, though. Some people like to start with the transdermal patch that delivers nicotine through your skin.

It gradually eliminates the amount of nicotine from your system, cutting down on cravings. But this doesn’t do much for the “hand to mouth” habit you develop when smoking for years.

Some smokers like to use nicotine gum because it keeps their mouth busy. The same goes for lozenges. But there are also inhalers and sprays you can try to help you get off of your addiction little by little.

A relapse is common for people trying to quit smoking – especially if they’re using NRTs. About 93% cave in eventually, so repeated efforts are vital to your success.

There are other options from over the counter NRTs. You can get a prescription like certain antidepressants that will help you get rid of cravings for nicotine as a pleasant side effect.

Electronic cigarettes are another option you may want to try. This is a battery-operated item that has a nicotine cartridge in it (refillable with flavor choices). You don’t get all of the byproducts smoking real cigarettes have, like actual smoke and tar – but you’re still being given the nicotine in smaller and smaller doses.

Some organizations don’t believe in the electronic cigarette as a smoking cessation device. But it can easily be whatever you want it to be if you pursue smaller doses and wean yourself off of cigarettes completely.

Sometimes small changes, like chewing on a toothpick flavored with cinnamon, or a candy cane, can be all you need to replace cigarettes with something else that keeps your mouth busy.

If you want to adopt one of those methods, you might try pairing it with an alternative health option to help you have a higher success rate. There are some techniques that aren’t exactly mainstream, but which have helped many stop smoking for good.

Hypnosis, acupuncture and meditation all assist you with the cravings you’ll feel when you try to stop smoking. They can help you develop new habits and ignore smoking triggers like bad traffic or having a cigarette after a meal, for example.

When it comes to hypnosis, don’t worry that someone is going to put you to sleep and alter your thought process – that’s not what happens. You’re awake, just relaxed enough to tap into and alter your smoking triggers.

With acupuncture, some people hesitate because it involves needles. But these needles are so tiny that they aren’t painful – they just stimulate your body to help alleviate cravings.

Meditation is a wonderful stress reliever, something we’ll be exploring shortly. Paired with NRTs, meditation can help soothe an anxious smoker craving a cigarette. Previously, you used a cigarette to ease stress – and meditation just replaces the cigarette for you.

There are other avenues you can explore, such as deep breathing, herbal remedies, and aromatherapy. The key is to exhaust all options before calling it quits – and then try again. Use a combination of methods to see the best success.

Prevent a Relapse in Your Smoking Cessation Efforts

Smokers who first try to stop smoking often fail at first. That’s partially because the real desire to quit just isn’t there. You may enjoy smoking, and find it hard to give up that pleasure.

But when it begins to affect your health, you start taking smoking cessation a bit more seriously – and then your success rate improves.

Research shows that combining your efforts into one part mental and one part physical therapies works best. Medications often can’t do it alone, and neither can a psychological approach.

Not everything is 100% within your control. Nicotine is a real addiction. Even your skin color has a lot to do with whether or not you succeed because the darker your pigmentation, the most nicotine is drawn to becoming absorbed in your tissues.

Some of your success will depend on how your social life works. Are you around smokers in your home? Do you frequent bars that allow smoking? If everyone you know smokes, it’s a good indication that you’ll find it harder to stay strong and avoid smoking.

Start making changes in your life and see how they affect your craving and addiction to smoking. The benefits to stopping will take effect within minutes, so your body will reward you instantly with better health, and continue showing you gratitude for a long time after.

Stress Relief Brings Down High Blood Pressure Numbers

Stress is a formidable enemy to someone who is trying to bring down his or her blood pressure. It’s something almost everyone encounters on a daily basis, and if you don’t know the best way to manage it, it can have a dire impact on your health.

How Does Stress Affect Blood Pressure?

Whenever you walk into your doctor’s office, if you’re nervous about the visit, it can cause you to have a high blood pressure reading. Stress can contribute in a physical and mental way.

Exercise itself takes a temporary toll on your body (although it has beneficial results), and during the time you’re moving your body, your blood pressure will rise to some degree.

The same thing happens when you suffer from emotional stress. This is your mental reaction to situations that cause you to become angry or sad, for example. Your body has a physical reaction to that stress in the form of a release of hormones designed to help you deal with it.

The hormones help you in some ways, but they also increase blood pressure. When faced with stress, your blood vessels restrict and your heartbeat quickens. Those two issues combined result in more pressure against your arteries, and a high blood pressure reading.

Stress also contributes to more bad lifestyle choices. Many people choose to drink alcohol, eat comfort (salty/sugary) foods, or smoke whenever they’re stressed. As you’ve learned already, these often point to hypertension.

Sometimes stress shows up physically in ways other than blood pressure readings. You might notice a sore jaw in the morning – stressed out men and women often grind their teeth or clench their jaw in their sleep.

Headaches are common for stressed out individuals. They can range from mild and constant to sudden spikes that mimic a migraine headache.

Exhaustion is a physical sign of too much stress. Even if you got a nice 8 hours of sleep, when you’re on stress overload, you’re likely to feel tired and cranky throughout the day anyway.

Weight changes mark an increase in stress. You might be the type of person who can’t eat when they’re stressed, so the pounds fall off in an unhealthy manner. Or stress may cause you to turn to comfort food and pile on the pounds.

Mentally, you’re going to sometimes fall into a slight or severe depression when you’re stressed. You might cry more often, talk in a negative manner, or even notice that you forget things easily.

Because of the havoc stress can wreak on your physical and mental state, it’s important that you reduce and handle it on a daily basis.

Best Ways to Reduce Stress

It’s almost impossible to completely eliminate stress from your life, but you can learn how to reduce it and manage whatever you can’t avoid. And by implementing some of these tips, you may even see a reduction in your blood pressure fairly soon.

Let’s start with reducing it where we can. The first thing that stresses many people out is time management. You might be spending your days rushing around from work to after school activities – feeling like you never have a spare minute.

It’s time to par down your to-do list each day. Be organized with your time, creating a schedule that flows well and isn’t overwhelming to you. If it means you have to cut out some activities, then do it for your health. And this includes having the strength to say “no” to requests for your time.

And in order to handle the stress better that you do encounter, get a good night’s sleep. Sleep deprivation itself can cause you to be stressed, but top that issue with more problems throughout the day and you’ll snap at the smallest thing.

We’ve already mentioned aerobic exercise, but don’t forget about calming, stress relief exercises like yoga. While it does help you strengthen your core and feel stronger, it’s also a great stress buster because it relaxes your body and mind simultaneously.

One thing you’ll learn when researching stress relief is that when you’re stressed, without knowing it, you probably hold your breath or take shallow breaths that you normally don’t do.

Deep breathing techniques go a long way in calming you down during stressful times. They’re not obvious – you can implement deep breathing anywhere at any time and no one has to know.

One thing you may not be aware of is how your diet affects your stress levels. When you take in a high sugar food, you might have a spike of energy to handle stress and timelines, but then the crash you feel when your body processes it will leave you tired.

Just by adhering to some of the food changes mentioned here previously, you should start to feel better throughout the day. Those changes will enable you to handle stress better because you’ll physically feel good.

Manage stress by finding a method that helps calm you down when things go awry or feel out of control. There are many methods – from meditation to visualization to Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP).

NLP helps you interrupt bad habits, like reacting negatively to stress, and learn new behaviors. There are many ways you can learn how to apply NLP, including audio, video and text-based courses.

The best way to handle stress is to know what your triggers are. You may not consciously be aware that an event, person or action stresses you out until later when you reflect on your day.

Once you identify it, work on finding a way to change it or manage it better with a new and improved reaction to it. By learning how to handle stress, you should see a steady decline in your blood pressure statistics.

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