As 2020 brought plenty of new challenges for most people to deal with, these challenges can also be a source of pressure and stress if not dealt right. Therefore, it is very important to assess the things that are currently going on, and manage your reactions to these occurences. It is no secret that your health as a whole, consist of not just physical, but also mental health. Emotions are closely tied to your physical well-being, and one of the keys to achieve better health is by managing your emotions. On this week's journal, we will be explaining some of the benefits you can get from it, so read on!

Less stress and anxiety

With or without the pandemic, stress is one of the most common occurence that most people face on a daily basis. From small things like misplacing your car keys to more serious ones like problems in your workplace, these things can easily elevate your stress levels. The physical body responses to stress by producing cortisol, also known as the stress hormone. Though it has some benefits like preventing inflammation and aiding metabolism, overproduction of cortisol can also suppress your immune levels. Therefore, understanding and recognizing your emotions is very crucial to sort out causes of stress and anxiety in your life, before it piles up and gets too much to handle.

Better sleep

Some people may also encounter sleeping difficulty when stressed. This is commonly known as insomnia, a sleeping disorder related to high levels of stress and anxiety. When you have too much going on inside your head, it can affect your ability to fall asleep and constantly feeling lethargic, even after seemingly obtaining enough sleep. As a basic need of every human being, how well you sleep is important to pay attention to. The body does muscle repairs and cell renewal during this period, therefore disrupted sleep may actually bring an array of health problems in the long run. Managing your stress and anxiety can actually help maintain health, not only by lessening your mental burden, but also aiding restorative needs of the physical body.

Prevent development of chronic diseases

Stress and anxiety can worsen your health by making you more susceptible to chronic diseases. Conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and certain skin disorder can all be triggered. Studies have also shown that strong emotions like anger, may cause irregular heart rhythms and even heart attack. The root causes of physical health problems are not only skin deep, but also depends on how you manage your emotional health. Therefore, identifying the cause of stress in your life can be beneficial in order to know how to handle and resolve it. Furthermore, developing a good coping measure may help you prevent chronic diseases in the long run. For example, spending time doing your hobbies may help you unwind and relax your mind. Going outside, spending time with your loved ones, or even watching an entertaining show may also help you get off the rut.

Maintain heart health

Continuing our previous point, heart health is also known to depend a lot on your emotional well-being. Feelings of anger, anxiety, frustration and depression may trigger your body to release a stress hormone called cortisol. It may also trigger fight or flight response by releasing adrenaline in your system. This is what caused an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. When these things happen constantly due to chronic stress, your body have little time to recover and therefore may cause the body to develop heart and cardiovascular problems like stroke.

Gain more control on your unhealthy habits

Lastly, stressed individuals are more prone to escapism and addictive habits. Some of these behaviors include overeating, smoking, and substance abuse. Since stress may be more manageable when you know the root cause of it, banishing these unhealthy habits will also be easier when you are able to resolve the cause of your stress. Managing these things are not only healthier for your physical well-being in the long run, but also may keep you away from unnecessary health risks that comes with these habits.