Stress may not always be a negative thing, but it is often linked to behavioral changes and bad decisions. In this blog, we'll share some tips on how to manage and relieve stress to feel better and improve your physical and mental health.

CREATE A LIST
Writing lists is a useful tool to help you imagine and understand what is stressing you. Seeing these stressors written down on paper can help you focus on one thing at a time and feel more in control.

EXERCISE
Exercise is important for clearing your mind and relieving mental stress while working on your fitness. When you exercise, you feel better because your stress hormones decrease (cortisol) and your body releases endorphins, which improves your mood. Our Crunch gyms are designed around you with incredible equipment including a range of equipment, fitness lines, heart pumping classes and first class personal trainers. If you exercise a few days a week, you'll feel more confident and sleep much better, so you'll be a little less stressed.

GOOD SLEEP
A good night's sleep helps calm your mind and body, stabilize your mood, and improve your cognitive functions. If you don't get enough sleep, your body won't have time to regenerate and relax, so it's important that you get enough rest to feel energized the next day.

CHANGE YOUR CATERING NAMES
Believe it or not, food affects your mood. When you eat nutrient-dense foods, your body receives important vitamins that keep you charged with energy, vigor, and alertness. When you eat foods that are high in sugar, low in fiber, and high in saturated fat, you tend to feel slower and more stressed. Taking care of your diet can determine how much energy and focus you have throughout the day, which will generally leave you in a more positive state.

REDUCE COFFEE
Consuming large amounts of caffeine can make you nervous and anxious. Caffeine is commonly found in tea, coffee, and energy drinks. Substituting caffeine-free beverages like water, fresh juices, and herbal teas can help you feel more relaxed and in control of your thoughts and actions.

MEDITATE
Meditation helps reduce metallic and physical stress. When you take the time to relax and share your thoughts, you will generally feel better and better able to understand what you need to do to combat stressors. At Crunch, we offer a variety of classes such as yoga and stretching, which include a meditation component to help calm you down.

SPEND TIME WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY
Spending time with loved ones can make you feel more positive and separate from the social network. It's good to talk about what's stressing you out, because you'll often find that you're not alone! You can go out for coffee or exercise with a friend to help relieve stress. Crunch allows its members to bring a partner to training for free! It's pretty common ronnie coleman workout plans for people to feel stressed about the same things - we don't say that verbally.

THINK POSITIVELY
As you continue to focus on the negative thoughts in your head, you will find that the intensity and the language will increase. To reduce this, it is best to change your negative thoughts into positive or neutral thoughts. Simply changing the way you think about these ideas will help you feel less anxious and stressed.

For example, "I can't do this exercise" can be changed to "I find this exercise difficult" or "I can't hate it" can be changed to "rather". This is easier said than done, but with practice you will find that you struggle with these ideas and their negative power lessens.

Make you a priority
It is important to find time for yourself, to do something you love! You will feel energized and filled with what you have done for yourself and overall you will feel happier. Taking care of yourself will help you reduce your stress and feel more positive. Make sure there is a balance between friends, family, and alone time.