Ways To Manage Stress Used By Psychologist

Small amounts of stress are good for us and help us to get important things done, but too much stress, or chronic stress, is extremely unhealthy according to CNBC Make It. Chronic stress can lead to anxiety, a weakened immune system, and high blood pressure. 

Allison Chase is a psychologist that has over 20 years of experience and just like everyone else she also experiences stress.

“I, too, am a very real human being. The good news is I am able to tune into what is happening and hopefully how to deal with it, but I am definitely impacted by stress, anxiety, all those things just like everybody else is,” Chase says

Chase has many tools she’s collected over decades that she uses to manage her stress. These are 4 of her strategies.

When Chase starts to feel overwhelmed she makes sure to become mindful of her breathing. “I really do work on trying to calm my body down because stress has physical effects on our body, everywhere. It impacts us,” she says.

Sleep is super important for our mental and physical health. Chase ends her own day at 9:30 p.m., which sets her up to be well rested and productive the next day.

She starts to wind down at around 6 p.m. by cooking dinner and eating with her husband. She then watches mindless TV for about an hour, being mindful of when she's going to bed so she can lower her screen time before she sleeps.

Each day Chase does at least one thing that she enjoys. She says that it doesn't need to be something grand, it just needs to be something that makes her happy.

“Even if it’s making a phone call to an old friend or sitting down and doing something that makes you happy like getting a chance to read a blog article or listen to an audio book, take a walk, any of those kinds of things,” Chase says.

Chase says when she notices that she's becoming “more irritable and not as calm in my approach to things, it’s usually an indication that [I] need to take some time.”

In these moments she makes sure to take breaks and uses her vacation time.

No one likes going to the hospital. Many times you don't plan on it either. But when you need to go, you want the absolute best care you can receive. And you certainly want that experience to be safe. Which is where North Carolina Hospital Safety Grades come in.

That's why The LeapFrog Group has made it the company's mission to help you make the best decisions regarding your health care. For over 20 years  they have "collected, analyzed, and published hospital data on safety and quality in order to push the health care industry forward."

RELATED: A, B, C? Here's How North Carolina Hospitals Scored For Safety

This puts a sense of transparency into the healthcare industry leading to higher quality of care and hospitals making "giant leaps forward in the safety, quality, and affordability."

And The LeapFrog Group just released its 2024 Hospital Safety Grades. They have ranked each hospital in the nation as either an A, B, or C. You can read the full methodology on these scores here.

Most of the Charlotte area hospitals received A grades though a few did receive B and even C grades. Does this mean you won't get good care? No. But it's information consumers have a right to know.

RELATED: Best Children's Hospitals, Here's Where North Carolina Hospitals Stand In Latest US News Rankings

All grades are the determination of The LeapFrog Group and you can view those and ones from any other city and state in the US here.

Keep reading to see the North Carolina Hospital Safety grades as determined by The Leap Frog Group. Hospitals included on this list are in the greater Charlotte area. The two closest South Carolina Hospitals are also included on this list since they are technically in the Charlotte area.