National wellness authority, Joe Piscatella provides three pieces of advice to help manage your stress.
Video Rating: / 5

Unlike our diet and exercise, stress can be difficult to control. “Stress, especially the unexpressed stress, that we constantly have in our life that we sometimes don’t even recognize or can identify. It’s just that feeling of anxiety or nervousness,” said Joanna Salerno, a massage therapist.

Health experts say stress can become chronic and if left untreated it can impact our health. “When you have a stress response, your heart rate goes up, so you’ve got more blood pumping through your body. Chronic long-term high blood pressure can result. Always feeling short of breath, being light headed, it can maybe increase in feeling some panic or anxiety,” explained Jayme Hodges, director of behavioral health with Lee Health.

Stress attacks the adrenals causing the body to flood with cortisol and adrenalin. Over time, this constant feeling can lead to health concerns like migraines, gut issues, and high blood pressure. “In 2015 there was a study that found 77 percent of all of our health issues are due to stress,” said Salerno.

Health experts say it’s important to address your stress and find helpful coping skills to overcome it. “Some coping skills and some coping strategies. Breathing exercises. Relaxation exercises,” said Hodges.

Increasing physical activity can also help people cope with stress. “Physical activity is the number one thing that can really just take away the daily stress, and that’s usually the stuff that’s compounding on us,” said Sarah Mitchell, health and wellness coordinator with Lee Health.

Eating fruits, vegetables, and limiting sugar and alcohol can also help to manage your stress. “Diet plays a really big part because you can be reaching for things that are going to bring you up instantly to feel good to forget about the stress,” said Mitchell.

Most importantly, make time for yourself. All can help you better manage stress and protect your overall health.

View More Health Matters video segments at LeeHealth.org/Healthmatters/

Lee Health in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of health care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For more than 100 years, we’ve been providing our community with personalized preventative health services and primary care to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries. Lee Health – Caring People. Inspiring Care.

Visit LeeHealth.org

Share this page: