Houston, Texas (KTRK) – Houston is the most stressful big city in the country, according to A New survey from LLC.org which measures eight stress factors, including average commute time, income growth rate, and average hours worked per week.
Space City isn’t the only Texas location on the list — the Lone Star State is home to ten cities in the top 30 list. Arlington is second, Dallas is third, and Corpus Christi is sixth.
according to LLC.org, workers in Houston work an average of 39.5 hours per week on the job. The national average is 38.7 hours. Houston residents also have an above-average daily commute of 52.8 minutes round trip.
The survey also found that 30.4% of Houston workers do not have health insurance, which is well above the national average of 10.5%.
Many people deal with multiple stressors and could use some relief. Practitioners state that taking good care of yourself with regular exercise, healthy food, plenty of water, and rest can improve emotional well-being.
There are also many seemingly small and simple things you can do at any time to slow down and calm down. ABC13 spoke to Licensed Professional Counselor Rachel Edens Eddins Consulting Groupwhich offers a free webinar every month.
Try out
According to Edens, the most common and universal way to relieve stress is to simply go outside.
“It naturally creates relaxation and reduces tension in your muscles, and lowers your heart rate,” said Edens. “It activates your senses, so it brings you into the present moment, helps you feel grounded, and takes you away from all those thoughts.”
Focus on your senses
When your thoughts are racing, Eddins suggests trying to focus on simple things you can see, hear, smell, touch, or taste.
“If your mind is spinning, you can focus on the leaves on the trees, for example,” Edens said. “Being in the present moment is what it is all about.”
Some other ideas include focusing on the chirping of birds, appreciating a painting on the wall, enjoying the scent of a rose, savoring your lunch one morsel at a time, or listening closely to the bass guitar in a song.
“What it does is it takes you away from your big feelings,” said Eden. “Say, if you’re tired and cranky, or if you have all these thoughts of ‘Oh, what am I going to do?'” How will I pay the bills? “
intentional breathing
Stress and low heart rate are not compatible, Edin said. Slowing your breathing at any time, including before bed, can help you sleep better.
“You can take a moment to inhale for a count of four, then hold it for a count of seven and exhale for a count of eight,” Edens said. “You can have (the children) imagine the scent of a flower for four times, and then we’ll blow out the candle for seven times… something more practical in their language.”
Playtime for kids and adults
Children naturally create a lot of stress through play and using their imagination. Eddins said we can learn a lot from them.
“There are so many ways you can play. You know all your hobbies. But sometimes it’s just having a dance party in your living room, and that’s a great way to play,” said Edens. “Movement releases that tension from your muscles. We hold the pressure in the body.”
“When you’re playing, again, it’s all about being in the moment,” she said. “When you’re stressed, your thoughts are going a mile a minute…but when you’re really in the moment, really experiencing, all of these things get us out of our minds, out of worry, out of stress.”
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