Official Government Website
Month: April 2022
Bounce Back from Difficult Times
6 Ways to Nurture Your Resilience
Everyone goes through tough times in life. But many things can help you survive—and even thrive—during stressful periods. Nurturing your body, brain, and social connections can help you bounce back from stress. Use the six strategies below to get you started!
Develop healthy physical habits. Healthy eating, physical activity, and regular sleep can improve your physical and mental health.
Take time for yourself. Make taking care of yourself part of your daily routine. Take time to notice the good moments or do something that you enjoy, like reading a book or listening to music.
Look at problems from different angles. Think of challenging situations as growth opportunities. Try to see the positive side of things. Learn from your mistakes and don’t dwell on them.
Practice gratitude. Take time to note things to be thankful for each day.
Explore your beliefs about the meaning and purpose of life. Think about how to guide your life by the principles that are important to you.
Tap into your social connections and community. Surround yourself with positive, healthy people. Ask friends, family, or trusted members of your community for information or assistance when you need it. Look for cultural practices that you feel help in times of stress.
Source: https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2022/04/nurture-your-resilience
Humor is Healthy
Laughing is both a physical and mental stress reliever. A good laugh can soothe tension, aid in relaxation, and release feel-good hormones to your brain. Laughter has also been shown to strengthen a person’s immune system and help relieve pain by encouraging the body to release its own natural painkillers. Best of all, out of everything you can do for stress management, laughter takes the least amount of effort and planning. Don’t let a day go by without a moment of laughter!
Smile!
Smile at those around you. Smiling is the beginning of laughter, and like laughter, it’s contagious. Plus, a smile releases hormones in your brain to lower stress.
Ask
Make humor part of the conversation. Ask friends, family members, and co-workers, “What is the funniest thing that happened to you today?”
Laugh at Yourself
Share your embarrassing moments. The best way to take yourself less seriously is to talk about the times when you took yourself too seriously.
‘Kid’ Around
Notice how children play and try to emulate them. They are the experts on being silly, taking life lightly, and laughing at ordinary things.