Dr. Mark McCullough | McCullough Family Chiropractic

We live in a fast-paced, inter-connected culture. Technology has brought us closer together, which can be a good thing and a bad thing. On one hand, it’s great to have easy access to friends and family that don’t live close by. On the other hand, constant access to technology means that it is very hard for many people to separate themselves from work and other responsibilities.

These factors and others create stress. And while stress may be inevitable from time to time, excessive and sustained stress is bad for your health. Stress can make it hard it sleep. It can awaken cravings for junk food. It can even increase your blood pressure. And of course stress has a way of making life less pleasant in general.

So… what can you do about it? Below are five practical steps to help you keep stress under control:

1) Make time to “disconnect”. As we discussed above, technology can be a great thing. But when it keeps us constantly “in the loop” with work and other responsibilities, it becomes a major source of stress. Make time for yourself, on a daily basis, to truly relax and do something you enjoy. It could be reading, spending time with your kids, playing a sport. Disconnect!

2) Exercise daily. Not only is regular exercise tremendously important in terms of your overall health, it’s also a great way to keep stress under control. Even if you’ve only got time to exercise for 15 minutes per day, it’s better than nothing. Make exercise a daily habit and you’ll see a difference in your stress levels!

3) Eat right. Food is vitally important when it comes to health in general, but good eating habits can help you keep stress in check. Vitamin C, for instance…