There is an expression, “May you live in interesting times” that seems to sum up what’s going on in the world. However, interesting times means a lot of anxiety, depression, anger, sadness, and stress. Stress comes from fear and uncertainty. When you don’t understand what’s going on and you are scared that something could happen to you, you get stressed. Fortunately, there are natural ways to reduce stress at home. If you feel like you are overwhelmed right now and need ways to calm down, this article is for you.

Change How You Read News to Reduce Stress.

This is a big one right now. Everyone is glued to the news and getting updates all day long. While it can be good to stay informed, watching the news all day can actually increase stress levels. For one, it’s mostly negative news that is promoted and shared, so when you go read the news, you’re going to find a lot of negativity and bad things going on. You are also reading about things that you have little to no control over, which just causes fear, anxiety, and hopelessness.

So how do you reduce stress from negative news? Take breaks from looking at the news. Try to only look at the news once a day if you have to. Any more than that is just making you stressed. Also, don’t look at the news first thing in the morning or it will put you in a negative headspace all day. If you look at bad news right before sleep, it could affect your sleeping cycle and provide bad dreams. Try to limit how often you look at the news. It won’t help you feel any safer.

Focus on Your Nutrition.

When things get stressful, we tend to avoid eating foods that are healthy and good for us. When we are stressed, certain hormones get released in our blood that affects our appetite. It can either make us have no appetite or have one that is increased. It also makes us gravitate towards certain foods high in sugar and fats that can have a calming effect initially. However, when we keep eating those unhealthy foods, all the sugars and salts can raise our blood pressure and increase our stress levels.

In order to lower your stress, try to limit unhealthy foods. We all need some comfort food from time to time but mostly we should be eating fresh produce and fresh meals with nutrients. Whole grains instead of processed flours or sugars, lean meats instead of red meats, etc. Make sure you are also getting your vitamins by taking supplements and eating nutrient rich foods. Get colorful produce like blueberries, eggplant, broccoli, carrots, yams, and tomatoes. These will help you feel better and keep your weight and blood pressure low.

Make Sure You Are Staying Fit.

Exercise is a great way to reduce stress. It releases endorphins to make us feel good. It can be a great way to get your mind off everything going on as well. But if you’re stuck at home all day, how can you get a workout in? Well there’s a few ways you can get a good workout in.

For one, you can go for a run or jog outside. Going outside for an hour a day is great because you are in nature and are getting some natural sunlight that you need to produce vitamin D3.

You can try biking or rollerblading as well. Besides, this is a good time for finding exercise videos on YouTube. You can order some weights and exercise equipment and find some great videos to help your workouts. There are also online guides for workouts at home you can find with a quick search. You may have to change your normal routine but it’s important to adapt and learn new tricks to keep you in a good mood.

Sleep Well to Fight Stress.

Most Americans don’t get enough sleep. It’s a fact. You probably don’t sleep as much as you should. It doesn’t seem like a big deal, but it is. Lack of sleep can seriously mess with your health. It can mess with your immune system and make you more vulnerable to illness. So how to get more sleep?

It may be a bit more difficult to go to sleep with your thoughts racing but over the counter supplements like valerian root and melatonin can aid sleep naturally. You may want to think about getting a weighted blanket or a memory foam mattress if financially possible. Blindfolds and earplugs may also help you stay asleep longer. Otherwise, make sure you go to sleep in a cool, dark room and try to get at least 8 hours of sleep if possible. A good night of sleep relaxes the mind and body.

Keep Busy and Avoid Screens.

With more time at home comes more boredom and boredom can lead to depression. Now is a good time to focus on more hobbies and stuff you can do without a screen. Books can be a good way to escape whether physical copies, digital copies or audiobooks. Adult coloring books can also help you relax and detach for a bit. Journaling is an excellent pursuit to write down your feelings and emotions.

Besides books there are many things you can do to help you relax. Listening to music or podcasts, juicing, puzzles, arts and crafts, crossword puzzles, video games even can help you relax. Whatever you enjoy doing, now is a good time to pursue a hobby.

How to Reduce Stress in Today’s World?

Basically, just try to be healthier. Exercise, diet, and sleep will help you physically. Staying away from the news, keeping busy, learning new skills, will help you mentally. Combine them both and you will feel less stressed. You will also feel less worried about getting sick since your overall health has improved. You have to make sure your immune system is as strong as it can be. Making some lifestyle changes can make you less vulnerable and therefore less stressed as well. Also try to be positive. It can be difficult with so much negativity, but staying hopeful is how we overcome difficulties. Try to focus on what you can do to make your tiny slice of life better and help those you can. Humanity is always welcome.