dmittedly use more zzzs, but spending too much time in bed can make you lethargic, slow down your metabolism, and even increase your risk for dementia, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Most people need between seven to nine hours a night, but you may need a little more or less sleep to keep stress in check and feel your best.
Eating comfort food
Digging into the mac-and-cheese or grabbing a jumbo Snickers isn’t a healthy way to combat stress, but many of us continue to do it, aiming for a quick mood boost or energy lift. But when you scarf down food and your stress hormones are raging, these chemicals can actually tamper with digestion. Unfortunately, the calories you eat then are more likely to be stored as fat than used for energy. Instead, opt for one of the 14 best foods to eat when you’re stressed. And learn how to get a handle on emotional eating.
You’ve probably indulged in a glass of pinot noir or chardonnay after a rough day at the office, which isn’t a big deal—unless that one glass turns into three or more. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, men and women who report high levels of stress tend to drink more, and men are more likely to turn to alcohol for stress relief than women. Additionally, heavy drinking—defined as binge drinking (having four drinks for women and five drinks for men in around two hours) on five or more days in a month—can shift the body’s hormone balance and change the way our bodies react to stress. A heavy drinker will likely experience more anxiety over stressful situations that someone who drinks moderately.
Hanging out on social media
It’s a habitual reward for many: Turn in a work project or finish a task around the house, spend 10 minutes scrolling the social media site to relax. But if your friends gravitate toward complain-y, negative-type posts, their outlook may make your own stressed-out feelings worse. Other research in the American Journal of Health Behavior finds that the association between social media use and stress may be more personal; in other words, your mood may affect how you feel about what you see rather than the content itself. “Negative images also can lead to negative emotions, such as sadness, frustration, anger, and anxiety,” says Rodriquez. “People may react differently to the same images, but the effect will be some form of stress response triggered by negative emotions.” So be careful not to go on social when you’re feeling blue. And if your Facebook friends tend to share happy, uplifting news, checking your feed could help lift your mood too. Next, check out the stress “facts” you should stop falling for.
- James Rodriguez, PhD, MSW, Director of Trauma-Informed Services at the NYU McSilver Institute and New York State-licensed clinical social worker and psychologist.
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