Stress and Acne

I think we can all agree that the more stressed we get, the more acne we get.  Stress and acne often go hand in hand but everyone is different.

Reactions to stress

The way your body reacts to stress may be totally different from how someone else reacts to stress.  So, while you may break out with a bunch of pimples, others don’t show any outward signs of blemishes.  While some stress is good, too much of it isn’t.

Manage stress

Many books have been written on the subject of stress and how to lessen or even relieve it.  Find a technique that works for you – maybe it be progressive muscle relaxation or doing a workout program a few days per week.  Or, perhaps you enjoy sitting in a quiet room while listening to music.  Whatever relaxes you, allow yourself the time to do it.  It took me a long time to figure out the best way for me to relieve stress.  And, depending on the situation, I may need to do one thing but in another situation, I may need to do something else.

My most effective ways to manage my stress:

1. Exercise or meditation.  I may need to do a vigorous workout one time and another time just retreating to a private space to gather my thoughts / feelings.  I’ve also started meditating and this has helped calm the stress I’ve had to deal with at times in my life.  Find what works for you.
2. Journaling – You might also try writing down what worries you.  Some people find this helpful since seeing the problem may help you look at it a different way or may make you realize that things aren’t as bad as you thought.  This is a very effective technique.  I know that when I feel overwhelmed, it helps me to write things down so that I can compartmentalize things and make it easier to deal with.  Plus, once it’s written down, I forget about it until I need to refer to it for some reason or another.  It really is amazing how just writing something down can make a big difference to get something out of your mind.
3. Another important step in managing stress is to get adequate sleep.  This is difficult for many of us but here are some tips that you might want to try:

Tips for better sleep

• Don’t go to bed until you actually feel tired.  Just because the clock says 10 PM and that’s what time you should go to bed, only go to bed when you feel tired.
• Don’t watch TV or play on your tablet in bed.  This can stimulate you and deter sleep.
• Start relaxing before bed.  Don’t participate in anything that will cause anxiety at least an hour before you will go to sleep.  If you are prone to “worry thinking”, do something fun that will keep you focused and away from those anxious thoughts – but don’t make it so fun that it keeps you away from all the excitement.  For example, do a word search.  And, if the phone rings and it’s from someone who makes you anxious because they are always talking about their problems – DON’T answer it.  Let it go to voicemail and deal with it at a more appropriate time.
• Don’t take naps.  Naps are nice but they may keep you from falling asleep at night.
• If you wake up in the middle of the night or way before your alarm goes off and you can’t fall back asleep – get up.  Start the day, get some stuff done, start working on a small project until you need to get ready for work or the day.  If you are going to be up anyway, why not make it productive.  You may still be tired but you’ll feel good knowing that you are getting stuff done!

Stress is a part of our lives and some people get pimples just from that stress.  Stress can be hard to control but you need to find a way to relax your body and mind in a way that works for you.  It can help your stress and acne.

How can you control your acne when your stress is out of control?