If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to reduce your #stress levels in 2020, here are 10 evidence-based strategies to try. There are other great ones, but these can be accessed at no cost or low cost. They may not all be possible for everyone, but maybe one will help. (thread)
1. Social connection. Decades of research show that social support from close others is a powerful stress buffer: emotional support provided in person or by phone by a parent, friend or partner can lower physiological stress responses. Hugs help too (photo by Tristan Le @pexels) 
2. Sleep. #Sleep is critical for health and recovery from stress, but 7-19% of adults and ~50% of children do not get the recommended amount of sleep each night. NHLBI offers some solutions: nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/…
3. Exercise. Physical activity (walk, run etc.) reduces risk of stress-related disorders such as depression. A large genetically-informed 2019 study using objective measurements of physical activity showed that #exercise protects against #depression: ja.ma/2UynykL
4. Progressive muscle relaxation. This involves series of tensing and relaxing muscles in the body. Here are some audio instructions from a 15-minute program by the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital @AllChildrens (appropriate for all ages):
5. Nature/green spaces. A large 2019 study from Denmark with ~1 million people linked access to green spaces like parks to better mental health, even after adjusting for socioeconomic factors: pnas.org/content/116/11… (more experiments needed, but dose-response link is promising)
6. Problem solving. This skill is included in some forms of therapy such as CBT. These 5 steps may help: identify problem, generate list of possible solutions, list pros & cons for each, choose solution, implement it & evaluate if problem is solved or new solution is needed.
7. Emotion-focused coping. For tragedies like natural disasters or mass shootings, emotion-focused coping may be more effective than problem solving. Here are some strategies from the American Psychological Association on emotional coping after tragedies: apa.org/helpcenter/mas…
8. Time management. Time pressure, deadlines, and unrealistic expectations about what we can accomplish in a set amount of time are sources of stress for many of us. Fortunately, some strategies can help us manage time better: nature.com/articles/d4158…
9. Comedy. Watching 30 min of a comedic movie was associated with better vascular function immediately afterwards in one study: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20816128/ (but more and larger studies are needed). Here is also comedy and coping advice from Jerry Seinfeld:
10. Helping others. Giving support to others can lower sympathetic-related stress responses: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26575283. Helping others can improve our mood, distract from our own problems, and build social connection (see no. 1 above).
Wishing you a low-stress 2020! (the end)
Wishing you a low-stress 2020! (the end)
