Can reducing stress in my life help lower my blood pressure?

Reducing stress is one way to help prevent sudden increases in blood pressure, and it can also help ward off hypertension, or chronically high blood pressure.

You can reduce stress in your life by finding ways to simplify your routine. When stressful situations are unavoidable, you can control the way your body reacts to stress with a few relaxation techniques.

One of the easiest is to slow down your breathing, by inhaling more deeply and lengthening the time you exhale.

A more relaxed state can also be achieved with daily meditation. There is even evidence that “visualization” – or actively focusing your mind on lowering the numbers in your blood pressure reading – can have a positive effect.

There are many other ways to control blood pressure, and, fortunately, they come with the added benefit of safeguarding your overall health:

• Keep your weight at a healthy level. Even a loss as small as 10 pounds can improve blood pressure.
• Watch what you eat. Use fewer processed foods, which typically contain added salt that boosts blood pressure. Read those nutrition labels and don’t cook with salt or add it at the table!
• Exercise moderately. Just 30 minutes of daily exercise – whether it’s a brisk walk or even working in the garden – helps control your weight and blood pressure.
• Stop smoking. Smoking restricts blood flow and causes pressure to increase.

High blood pressure can occur at any time in life, and often comes without symptoms, so remember to have your pressure checked periodically. Visit your doctor routinely, and if he or she prescribes blood pressure medication, be sure to take it regularly.