Stress Management Activities for Hypertension

IntroductionTaking too much stress leads to a negative impact on overall health, including high blood pressure. When you are stressed, the body releases hormones that spike your blood pressure for a while. It results in increasing heart rate and narrowing blood vessels. Since this is a temporary activity, the blood pressure reduces back to normal once the stress trigger is gone.

While it’s true that stress can result in a temporary rise in the blood pressure, being stressed all the time exposes you to the risk of hypertension for an extended period. This draws a connection between hypertension and stress management.

Some factors that induce stress include, overeating in a stressful scenario, an increase in the consumption of alcohol, or developing poor sleeping habits. All of these factors can lead to high blood pressure. Further, you may end up experiencing high blood pressure due to constant stress-related spikes.

Reacting to stress in unhealthy ways can increase your chances of heart strokes, heart attack, and hypertension. This occurs as a result of certain stress hormones. Small levels of cortisol, endorphins and vasopressin are safe, but stress in the long-term can lead to unsafe levels and cause hypertension or even a stroke.

Above all, the good part is that you can still manage stress by adopting some essential stress management activities. Let’s understand in detail.

Stress Management Activities to Manage Stress

Making small changes to your lifestyle can keep your stress level under control.

• Practice Deep Breathing:

  Deep breathing exercises are effective in managing stress. The right breathing method goes a long way in preventing stress and keeping your heart healthy. The benefits include a reduction in the cortisol level, which in turn, lowers the tension and anxiety levels. Follow deep breathing to calm your body and mind.

• Join Meditation Or Yoga Centres:

  Yoga Asanas have been popular for ages to lower the risk of having a stroke. Balancing postures also keep strokes at bay. Besides Yoga, meditation programs are also quite effective in dealing with mental issues. Practising meditation keeps you more relaxed. Meditation helps in reducing the level of cortisol, cytokines and strengthens emotional health.

• Listen To Music:

  Music acts as a good stress reliever. It is because your mind absorbs the music and distracts you from stressful conditions.

• Tai Chi:

  Tai Chi leads to better balance and may positively affect blood pressure, cholesterol levels. Practising it usually may lower your chances of heart disease.

No matter how occupied your day is, take 20-25 minutes a day to practice these activities and let go of the stress in your body.

These simple stress management activities can limit the level of stress in your body.

Conclusion: Can Stress Management Help?

Possibly yes! Stress management seems to be highly effective in reducing blood pressure. However, there are other required steps that you should be taking to rejuvenate your general well-being.

• Visiting the doctor regularly
• Taking medications regularly without a miss.
• Fighting stress with healthy habits and lifestyle change.

Lifestyle is a vital contributing factor to hypertension. Additionally, hypertension treatment guidelines with medications are also proven effective in preventing the condition from deteriorating.

To know more about hypertension and stress management, visit our website.

Note of Caution: This article is for information purposes only. Always consult your doctor in case of any blood pressure or other health-related problems.