There are many different ways of dealing with the usual stress that occurs in life. Some individuals develop unhealthy habits such as smoking and drinking an excessive amount of caffeine to get by on a day-to-day basis. I personally drink Diet Coke to an unhealthy extent, because I have somehow come to the conclusion (wrongly) that I need the caffeine to deal with my daily stressors.
It would be much more beneficial to find a means of coping that did not have a negative impact on physical health. Exercise, for example, is good for personal fitness and can even relieve depression (479). Using a journal provides a means of emotional control. In a study, students who wrote about personal issues compared to those who wrote about trivial things showed greater signs of improved immune functioning (471). Although it is not clear if meditation and decreased stress level have a correlated or cause-and-effect relationship, if you find meditation to be personally beneficial it may be a good alternative way of coping with stress (484).
What unhealthy habits are you using to deal with stress? The point that I am trying to get across is that there are many alternative ways of handling the stress that occurs in daily life.
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