Inflation is causing the price of just about everything to rise: gas, food, and home supplies. It’s easy to feel the pinch, and get stressed or overwhelmed.
Even with the price you pay at the grocery store rising, Cleveland Clinic Psychologist Dr. Matthew Sacco said it's important to still be mindful of your diet.
“Eating as healthy as you can. That helps your mood. It changes your mood. Watch substances. And with substances, being mindful it’s not just alcohol. Caffeine, other stimulants,” Dr. Sacco said.
He said caffeine and other stimulants can cause irritability and anxiousness, so its important to limit how much you have. Dr. Sacco also recommends regularly working out, and it doesn’t have to be strenuous activity — even just going for a walk or riding your bike through the park can help. Other tips include meditating, journaling, and connecting with family and friends. Dr. Sacco said to be careful about how much time you spend on social media, and try to be mindful of the moment. It can be easy to think about everything that's out of your control — especially since this pandemic. But he said instead, to focus on what you can control.
"But it is challenging because it’s probably more important than ever to have to be intentional about it, because for two years, work, family, everything has been blended because we have been in such close proximity to one another, that those boundaries we counted on being clear have changed," Dr. Sacco said.
If you feel like you are still having a hard time managing your stress and it’s disrupting your life, don’t be afraid to reach out to a mental health professional.
