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Managing a blood pressure condition is a long-term commitment. It requires you to make healthy lifestyle choices every day and monitor yourself through regular BP readings. Fortunately, there are now home-use blood pressure monitor manufacturers s that supply digital BP monitors are just as accurate as a professional automatic blood pressure machine.
A major part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle is being diligent about your wellness. High blood pressure may be your body’s way of telling you that it is time to slow down. Skeptical? Fair enough. Read on, and let’s explore more on the subject.
Table of Contents
How Stress Affects Blood Pressure
In the absence of adequate rest, you are bound to become stressed. While stress is primarily psychological it can also manifest physiologically. It is, in fact, the physical manifestations that instigate blood pressure spikes.
Take, for example, the white coat syndrome. If you tend to get anxious when you walk into your doctor’s office, your body registers such anxiety as stress. The brain thus triggers the release of adrenalin into your bloodstream to help you cope. The adrenalin hormone causes your heart rate to rise while blood vessels constrict and subsequently, your blood pressure rises.
The white coat syndrome is an example of a short-span stressor. However, if you live a generally stressful life, your body remains in that high-strung fight or flight scenario. It is, therefore, no surprise that your blood pressure would be constantly elevated.
Understanding Stress Triggers
Understanding the things that trigger stress for you could go a long way in helping you manage your stress levels. How do you identify triggers? It is simple, listen to your body. Pay attention to the environments in which you feel tense and on edge. Watch out for other symptoms as well like feeling unusually tired after certain interactions or tasks.
Other common stressors include:
Sleep Deprivation
It could be that you are barely sleeping or that your quality of sleep is poor. Whichever the case, your body, and mind will be reeling from exhaustion. Sleep deprivation causes irritability, poor appetite, and a generally stressed aura.
Life Events
The death of a loved one, job loss, divorce, or even a pandemic are significant life events that are major stressors. When they are not handled well, they could lead to more complex mental health conditions. It is, nonetheless, normal to feel stressed over them. It is advisable to lean on your support system and be diligent about self-care as you navigate them.
Over-working
The mind needs breaks from serious tasks to rejuvenate. Working straight through the week and even on weekends when you should be resting wreaks havoc on your well-being.
Home Relaxation Tips
In light of the effects of stress on your blood pressure, taking time to rest at home and care for yourself is essential. The first step to achieving that is creating a serene environment in your home that you can retreat to every day. Consider:
Sprucing up your decor with colors that calm you
Decluttering; orderliness relaxes the mind
Getting more natural light in your home
Setting up a cozy relaxation nook for quiet time
Once you have created a more zen environment, it would also be helpful to explore some relaxing activities. They could hobbies that rejuvenate you or activities such as:
Yoga and Meditation
Medical experts have proven that yoga and meditation are effective in alleviating stress and improving blood pressure and circulation. Setting aside a few minutes each day to practice some poses may be of great benefit to your wellness.
Listening to Music
A study on the effect of music therapy on blood pressure patients established that it was indeed helpful. The best part is that you are not restricted to any genre. Your favorite calming playlist will do just fine.
Commune With Nature
Fresh air, chirping birds, and some greenery might just be what you need to lighten the soul. You could take on gardening or simply while away the afternoon in your backyard. There isn’t one way to go about it, choose what tickles your fancy.
Monitor Your Progress
The benefits of improved self-care and relaxation can be tangible and intangible. For instance, you may notice that your mood is more upbeat and your concentration during tasks is much better. Tangible progress could present as lower and more consistent blood pressure readings.
A home blood pressure machine would be of great help in tracking your progress. However, to get a true picture of your health, you need an accurate BP monitor. Be discerning as you make your purchase and aim for a device from a reputable blood pressure monitor manufacturer.
Conclusion
The rewards of caring for yourself better than before may surprise you. Your health may improve so much that the sight of your doctor’s professional blood pressure machine no longer causes you anxiety. Some patients even get so lucky as to have their prescriptions cut down. Now that you have learned all the tips on how to improve your BP health, go on, and take the first step.
