Mental Health Coping Strategy #2

 Stay physically active, regular exercise, even light activities, uh, like walking, help manage stress and improve sleep. As far as the physically active part, I think that last word, improve sleep. I think that is the most important part of staying physically active. If you start your day off with something active, you can get your dopamines, your endorphins, and it'll help carry you through a good portion of of your day.

You feel good, you feel charged, ready to go. A good part about working out is that your body will let you go to sleep. So those of us who don't manage stress very well and keep things in our heads, it's oftentimes difficult to fall asleep because we're always thinking about whatever happens, or whatever happened earlier that day, what you should have done different, what you could have done, oh, I've gotta get this done tomorrow.

But if your body's tired, it will let you sleep. So I think that one of the best parts about staying physically active is that you'll be able to have better sleep, regular exercise. Second, as far as staying physically active, and this is a good one, stretching before and after shifts can relieve tension and prevent injury.

That is one thing I definitely do in the morning is. Stretching. I get text screen. You, you see me doing this a lot because I remind myself, I'm like, I need to sit up straight. Um, but text screen the whole, you know, head going forward, walking around like this with your phone. So turning not long ways like you would lay in your bed, but turning the other way and putting your shoulder blades on the side of the bed and letting your head, head hang off the end of the bed and then throwing your arms up, getting all of this stretched out.

In the morning will help relieve the tension off your neck and your shoulders. 'cause a lot of us carry tension right there, especially again, tools up and down on your, on your shoulders, backpacks, lugging stuff up and down. Anything you can do to relieve stress and pressure off your traps would, uh, would, would be helpful.

So definitely stretch before and after work, uh, and that will help you prevent injury and just try to relieve. Some of that pressure and stress that you carry around naturally. Uh, so develop a routine for stress management. Stay physically active.