Stress Awareness Month: Cut down on caffeine, alcohol and nicotine

Avoiding, or at very least cutting down, on caffeine, alcohol and nicotine can help reduce your stress levels.

Aside from being, in large doses, questionable for your health (which in itself doesn’t help stress levels), all three of these are stimulants, which can help trigger and increase stress levels.

Caffeine in particular triggers the release of cortisol, which is one of the hormones that helps fight tiredness and helps wake you up in the morning. However, cortisol is also the hormone released when you’re stressed.

Instead of drinking coffee, caffeine-laden drinks and alcohol, you can swap these for water, herbal teas or fruit juices. Not only do these contain less, or even no, stimulants or cortisol they will also help keep you better hydrated.

All this month is stress awareness month and here at Kare Plus we will be sharing hints and tips throughout April to help carers and nurses avoid stress, both here on our blog as well as on our Facebook page.