“Agghhhh! I can’t handle all of this work!” Don’t worry—we have all been there before and will in the future. Stress happens and sometimes you can’t control when it shows up. But what you can control is how you react in each situation. When you’re stressed, don’t let it get the best of you because it can take a toll on your overall and oral health. Let’s take a look at a couple ways you can help to relieve your stress for an improved lifestyle and health.

Listen to Music

Relieving stress could be as simple as listening to music. Take a break and listen to relaxing classical music if you begin to feel overwhelmed by a stressful situation—it has been shown to help. Playing calm music has a positive effect on the brain and body, which can help to lower blood pressure, and reduce cortisol, a hormone linked to stress.

Call a Friend

Another stress relieving thing you can do is to take a break and call a friend or a family member to talk about your problems. Good relationships with friends and loved ones are important to any healthy lifestyle, and there is no time that is more evident than when you are under a lot of stress. By hearing a reassuring voice, it can really help you put everything in perspective again.

Eat Right

Yes, food can play a role in your stress and how you manage it. Stress levels and a proper diet are closely related. Unfortunately, it’s when we have the most work that we forget to eat well and resort to using sugary, fatty snack foods as pick-me-ups. When stressed at work, try to avoid the vending machine and plan ahead. Put together fruits and vegetables, and add in fish with high levels of omega-3 fatty acids—a tuna sandwich really is brain food!

Tea Time!

A large dose of caffeine causes a short-term spike in blood pressure and may cause your hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis to go into overdrive. Instead of resorting to coffee or energy drinks to stay awake, try green tea. With less than half the caffeine of coffee, green tea contains healthy antioxidants, as well as theanine, which is an amino acid that has a calming and soothing effect on the nervous system.

Exercise

Exercise doesn’t have to mean power lifting at the gym or training for a marathon. A short walk around the office or simply standing up to stretch during a break at work can offer immediate relief in a stressful situation. By getting your blood moving, endorphins are released—this can improve your mood almost immediately.