Sources of Stress
This causes stress if you don't get enough of it.
Sleep
High stress increases this hormone level.
Cortisol
This technique entails using your 5 senses to name objects in your surroundings in order to decrease your stress level.
5-4-3-2-1 Method
Doing this too close to bedtime or for too long reduces sleep pressure and makes it difficult to sleep at night
Napping
This causes stress if you're facing eviction, don't have a permanent place to live, or are staying with family members.
Housing insecurity
High cortisol levels increase a person's energy level which disrupts this.
Sleep
This technique entails listening to instructions which are designed to help you focus on your breath and calm your body and mind.
Guided meditation
Name a healthy habit for cell phone use
Turn off notifications, clean your social media accounts (unfollow accounts that cause you stress and follow accounts that bring you joy), set boundaries and time limits (2 hours per day or less), limit time on social media especially before bed
Interferes with sleep because the eyes need darkness to know it's time to sleep.
Light
This causes stress when you don't have enough money to cover the costs of necessities such as food, heat, electricity, housing, etc.
Financial insecurity
Sleep disruption creates high levels of this in the body.
Stress/cortisol
This technique entails tightening and then releasing our muscles one group at at time to encourage the release of stress and bringing on a sense of calm.
Progressive muscle relaxation
This substance creates micro-awakening through the night and dulls brain activity so it cannot perform its nightly functions, leaving the sleeper tired in the morning.
Alcohol
These emotional states produce cortisol/adrenaline and keep the body awake and on alert.
Stress and anxiety
This causes stress when you don't know what, where or when your next meal will be.
Food insecurity
Vicious cycle
school, friends, politics, climate change, social media
This keeps people from sleeping deeply.
Noise
Do this every morning and night at the same time in order to set the body's master clock which times all bodily functions.
Getting up and going to bed
This causes stress when you're involved with a breakup, peer conflict or family conflict.
Relationship insecurity
Daily Double: Events such as human trafficking, domestic violence, emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse are sources of stress.
Traumatic events
Additional techniques for managing stress:
Exercise, sleep, therapy, time outside, journaling, spending time with pets/friends/family, healthy daily routine
This stimulating substance has a long half-life of 5-6 hours.
Caffeine
Create this for better sleep every night in order to send clear signals to the body and brain that it is time for bed.
A bedtime routine