Relieving stress

Why reducing stress is important

Stress can encourage “problem behaviors” like eating fatty foods, drinking caffeinated coffee, drinking alcoholic beverages, or smoking.

These behaviors can trigger heartburn and other symptoms of acid reflux disease, like a bad taste in your throat, or belching.

Take steps to lower stress

You don't have to let stress get to you. Here are some techniques and lifestyle adjustments that can help you reduce or manage your stress:

Make time for yourself—read a book, watch a movie, or indulge in a warm bath

Set realistic goals—don’t try to take on too much at once. Pick one important task to do and then check it off your list

Find someone you can talk to—seek out the support and guidance of friends, colleagues, and family members

Stay hopeful about the future—keep an optimistic outlook by visualizing the good things that can happen

Don't worry about what you can't control—some things are out of your hands, like traffic and the weather. Identify what you can't change and learn to let it go

Lead a healthy lifestyle—get enough rest, exercise regularly, and balance work with play