3 Method to Avoid High Blood Pressure - Method3 Managing Stress

1 Identify different areas of stress in your life. Blood pressure is directly impacted by stress. When you’re in a stressful situation, your blood pressure is increased by a sudden increase in hormones.^[21] It is important to note what triggers stress for you so you can work on managing it. Some common stresses include job loss, death, marriage, and moving.

2 Reduce or eliminate stresses through physical activities. Yoga, meditation, and deep relaxation techniques can all help lower your stress levels. Yoga and meditation also not only relax you and strengthen your body, but also may lower your systolic blood pressure by 5 mm Hg or more.

·         Yoga: Yoga consists of a series of movements or postures that increase strength and flexibility. Another part of yoga is controlling your breathing, which helps to quiet your mind and control your body.

·         Meditation: Meditation involves focusing your attention and eliminating thoughts that may be cluttering your mind, which may result in physical and emotional well-being improvements.

·         Deep Relaxation: Deep relaxation includes controlling your breath as well as contracting and relaxing different muscle groups, leading to a more calm state of mind.

3 Learn effective mental stress coping techniques. We all handle stress in different ways; however, some ways like overeating work against lowering blood pressure. More helpful methods include positive reframing, seeking support, problem-solving, and adjusting expectations.

·         Positive reframing: Note the positive or upbeat aspects of the situation.

·         Seeking support: Ask for help or emotional support from friends, family members or medical professionals.

·         Problem-solving: Find the source of the problem and determine a solution.

·         Adjusting Expectations: Change your anticipated outcomes as different scenarios unfold.