It is no secret that chronic diseases and health conditions are on the rise. From young to old, many people are suffering from a range of mental and physical health issues, from depression and anxiety to diabetes and different types of cancer. Moreover, the rising costs of healthcare are adding to the problem, making it difficult to manage these conditions. No wonder good health insurance plans are in demand today!

But have you ever wondered why there is a rapid increase in these health issues? One of the leading causes of these conditions is stress! In the dynamic pace of the modern world, stress is inevitable. You must have heard people complaining about being stressed due to their job or relationships. You might have experienced stress too!

It is common knowledge that managing stress is crucial to good health and wellbeing. But did you know why? Let’s dive deeper into how stress affects your wellbeing and why managing it is beneficial.

Stress and Its Relationship to Health Conditions

Stress is a response of your body when you are unable to cope with the situation at hand. Also called the fight-or-flight state, it is your body’s way to defend itself against danger.

When you are confronted with a challenge or threat, your body releases certain chemicals and hormones like cortisol, epinephrine, norepinephrine, and adrenaline to help you evade or face the issue at hand. This, in turn, triggers physiological responses like rapid heart rate, high blood pressure, and alertness. Since the body is occupied in preparing for the challenge, the normal activity of digestion, immunity, and sleep get adversely affected.

While stress can be a motivator to perform better and even necessary to survive, prolonged exposure to stress can be detrimental. Today, the constant buzz of the phone, tight deadlines, long work hours, increasing competition, high costs of living, etc., continuously keep you in a stress mode. The negative impact on bodily functions leads to diseases ranging from high blood pressure, heart problems to cancers.

While products like mediclaim policy are here to help reduce the financial stress resulting from diseases, reducing stress is critical to good health.

Effective Stress Management and Its Importance

Like you study beforehand to avoid the stress of end-minute preparations before exams or avail of a mediclaim plan to safeguard against financial stress resulting from health conditions, taking measures to reduce stress is crucial to prevent diseases and stay in the pink of health.

Stress triggers vary from person to person. While some get stressed worrying about retirement, lack of time, or earning money, others feel anxious due to the presence of noise, overcrowding, or driving. However, there are some common ways to manage stress:

• Moving your body; short walk or stretching of muscles releases endorphins that improve mood and increases blood circulation.
• Eat right. Include fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains in your daily diet. Stay away from junk food and alcohol that cause a burden to your bodily functions.
• Deep breathing helps put away the pressure and calm your mind. Whenever you feel stressed, pause, close your eyes and breathe in and out a couple of times.
• Take breaks often, both long vacations and a few minutes off during the day.
• Indulge in relaxing activities like listening to music, meditation, prayer, yoga, spending time in nature.
• Whether it is dancing or sports, make time for things you love doing.
• Get 7-8 hours of sleep every night.

From improved mood, memory, and concentration to healthy weight and body, you can reap a range of benefits by managing stress. You can even avail better coverage when you buy a life insurance or mediclaim policy as good health means low risk.

Although stress management is crucial, some problems stemming from stress like clinical depression or heart diseases require medical attention. Be sure to purchase good health insurance plans to secure yourself financially while also working toward reducing stress.

Know more about term plan, term insurance and life insurance at PNB MetLife.

Whether you are trying to lose weight or making a shift towards a healthy life, understanding your BMI (Body Mass Index) is one of the first necessary steps you can make. The BMI calculator can indicate your body’s fat content based on your weight and height. Once you have a clear view of this, you can go through different health insurance plans on the PNB website and secure your future financially against the growing healthcare costs.