Your Personal Best: Dealing with stress and anxiety

BY WVUA 23 Digital Reporter Kyrsten Eller

About 40 million Americans 18 and older deal with anxiety disorders. With the COVID-19 pandemic, those rates have increased.

According to the American Psychological Association, incorporating positive coping techniques may help to reduce our daily stress and manage it better.

Dr. Milady Murphy said that some examples of managing stress can include aerobic exercises like walking or swimming for at least 30 minutes a day for five days a week. This will help in releasing certain chemicals in order to relax the body and mind.

Dr. Murphy also said that Incorporating healthy foods into our dietary plan and eating nutritious foods will help to boost our immune system.

Breathing is another coping mechanism he touches on, where you take a deep breath into the stomach and slowly exhale. Repeating this up to 10 times will lead to relaxation of the body and mind.

Although these are only examples, they are proven to be helpful in reducing stress. However, if you find that the stress is too overwhelming, it’s recommended you reach out to your doctor to get the medical intervention and guidance needed to help manage stress.