Stress Reduction and Management for Improved Mental Health Globally

Background: Stress is one of the leading public health challenges of the modern time. It is known to exacerbate and lead to long term negative health effects such as heart diseases and mental health disorders. The COVID-19 pandemic has also increased the levels of stress in patients as social support has decreased with isolation and quarantine processes during the time of the pandemic.Objective: This paper will go on to discuss what measures can be taken to reduce stress for improved physical and mental health.Method: For this project extensive literature review was conducted to determine what leads to stress and how intervention approaches can stop stress. Additionally, given the regency of the COVID-19 pandemic, this research specifically wanted to make recommendations that would most help people who felt the effects of social isolation due to the pandemic and make further recommendations based on this. This paper has utilized literature and data all from within the past ten years, utilizing the highest regarded sources, and subject matter expertise across authors to make recommendations and inferences.Conclusion: This study has found that exercise such as yoga, deep breathing meditation, and having a positive attitude through personality traits such as playfulness, are all ways in which a person can reduce stress and improve their mental and physical health for improved quality of life and longevity. Lifestyle and a person’s profession also heavily influences levels of stress. Students have been shown to have the most increased levels of stress during the pandemic as well as hospital workers due to the change of setting and uncertainty for students and the high stress of contracting COVID-19 and putting one’s life on the line during the pandemic.