True, stress is a natural human response and happens at every age, at some level, almost every day. It is in fact a human maneuver for survival. But out of hand, stress is a killer, at least a stealer of the joy in your life. Stress can actually accelerate the aging process. Best to identify it and get it under control!

Stress is defined most simply as a mental reaction to a challenging circumstance. All people deal with stress at some level but not all react in the same way. We're not talking about a mental health condition like anxiety or depression-please get help with that-rather, day to day stressors that require us to attend to the situations and manage the accompanying reaction. Designed for survival and known as the fight-or-flight syndrome, a stress response permits us to effectively escape from lions, tigers, and bears. But those same hormones that help us there can over time cause widespread destruction in aging bodies that do not recover like we once did. And since most of us don't meet the casual lion, our calamities happen most often due to the losses we face daily-you know those.

Calamities indeed. Nothing about chronic stress is desirable! Chronic stress mediated primarily through a hormone called cortisol leads to heart damage (think high blood pressure, calcified arteries, rapid heart rate and irregularities) that can interfere with both the quality of your life and longevity. Chronic stress is a known contributor to development of Type 2 diabetes because it makes it more difficult to use the insulin your body makes. Headaches and viral illness and inflammation and so much more. And for many of us, stress leads to obesity as we tend to use overeating as a coping mechanism. Stress can keep us up at night which leads to more stress which leads to overeating, obesity and...well it gets to be a vicious, life-shortening, unhealthy habit. So, let's get a handle on this, okay?

Maintain General Healthy Habits

Turns out, those strategies you use to keep yourself generally healthy will also help you cope more effectively with day-to-day life stressors! For example, what else...maintaining physical fitness. Just 2 days a week of aerobic exercise (like speed walking 150 minutes a week or dance class or pickleball) has been shown to improve overall response to stress. Eating a balanced diet can also help to manage stress by providing the nutrition you need to successfully mediate the stress response and cut down on the associated inflammation. Avoiding highly processed foods and sugars can go a long way here. You may also want to speak to your healthcare provider about possible supplements such as magnesium, ashwagandha and Vitamin D.

Engaging in activities that support your self-care will also help you deal with daily stress. Walk outside when you can reasonably do so because that exchange with nature, especially the natural light, helps to alleviate stress. Taking a bath, lighting candles, and using essential oils like frankincense, lavender, or bergamot are helpful. (I'm burning a candle as I write and really enjoying a deep rose scent! It smells pink if you know what I mean!) Reading a good book, preparing a nice meal, getting a massage. These are all evidence-based strategies, that is studies have shown they work!

And do not leave out the all-important advantage of sleep and rest. Schedule them into your daily routines. No mind, certainly not our queen-aged minds, can function appropriately without sleep and rest. And stress is only going to increase the need as science shows it is during this time when the mind makes the needed repairs of the insults wrought by stress. Nobody knows better than you how much sleep and rest you need and insist on that for your life!

Manage the Mind

While you're out on that walk with nature it's a great time to work on managing the mind. Changing your mindset regarding stress can be powerful; reminding yourself you control the mind, not the other way around! Begin by practicing mindfulness. Oh, I know that's a sexy term these days, but use it in the simple way (unless you'd like to really get into it by studying the whole of it!). Just be in the moment! Focus in the moment, on what you intend and don't get pulled away in so many directions. Be that what you see in nature as you walk or meditating on what brings you joy. Oh and do get yourself in the habit of practicing gratitude-hard to be stressed while you spend time counting your blessings!

It's also a great time to practice breathing techniques. You can check online to learn more about this. But, for now, just simply deep breaths through your nose can go a long way toward alleviating the otherwise rapid breaths that accompany stress which can lead you to acid-base imbalances and therefore attacks on your health! Another one of those vicious cycles! Be mindful of your breathing and make a concerted effort to control it! Feel your chest rise and fall. Recognize and appreciate how important that is to health!

Journaling is another technique (one you already know!) to help you manage your mind. Keep up that practice you started and journal your thoughts and feelings regularly. Challenge negative, unproductive thoughts and encourage the ones that contribute to your health. Research supports this practice and you already know it works!

Create New Patterns and Habits

I bet you've said this yourself: times have changed, the world is so different. Yes, yes, that's true and you have to make some changes to manage the stress that it brings! Unlike the seemingly rest of civilization you do NOT have to spend so much time on a screen. You know well that is stressful. Plan face-to-face time with the people you care about. Plan activities with your friends and family. And show up! Don't put it off. In fact, avoid procrastination altogether! That in itself has been shown to produce stress! To-do lists work! Crossing off tasks is joyful! And sometimes, just putting it on a list works to get it off your plate for a moment.

And plan time for yourself! Learn to set boundaries. To limit especially someone else's use of your time. You can't manage stress if you are not in control of your own time. Learn to say "no" if you haven't already done that. Meditation is a useful, purposeful act when you use it well. To sit in a sunset. To take long drives with the tunes cranked up (is that just me?). Yes, to sit in a rocking chair on the porch. To count your blessings with pen in hand. However, you like to be with yourself in the moment.

In conclusion...

Remember, there will be situations in your life which you simply cannot change. But you will always be the determining factor in how you react to them. Or put another way, stress is an inevitable fact in life. Your reaction is not so set in stone. You can work to change it.

You likely can name some activities you know will help you manage stress if you plan them into your life accordingly, if you purposefully add them to your day. Oh, and do find a hobby that will engage your thought and your time. Nothing says stress more for us than unemployed time! And that time spent on YOU! Your plan doesn't have to be complicated, nothing complex or costly and exaggerated. But it should be purposeful and even anticipatory. If you know a stressor is coming up (anniversary of a deceased loved one for example) plan for it and get ready to manage that stress! You got this.