In today’s busy world, we’re pulled in many directions at once. We have responsibilities at home and at work, and sometimes it all just becomes too much. Our bodies start to let us know that we’re feeling the stress of our daily lives.
Feelings of stress are caused by your body’s instinct to defend itself. This instinct is good in emergencies, such as when you need to get out of the way of a speeding car. But stress can cause unhealthy physical symptoms if it isn’t managed properly. Your body is working overtime as it deals with daily challenges. You’re just not equipped to deal with all that extra energy. You may start to feel anxious, afraid, worried, and uptight. If your stress isn’t kept under control, it can lead to serious health issues such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes.
How to Reduce Your Stress
Avoid Caffeine, Nicotine, and Alcohol
Avoid, or at least reduce, your consumption of nicotine and any drinks containing caffeine and alcohol. Caffeine and nicotine are stimulants and, therefore, will increase your level of stress rather than reduce it. Alcohol is a depressant when taken in large quantities and a stimulant when taken in smaller quantities. Therefore, using alcohol as a way to alleviate stress is not ultimately helpful. Swap caffeinated and alcoholic drinks for water, herbal teas, or diluted natural fruit juices and aim to keep yourself hydrated as this will enable your body to cope better with stress.
Get Good Sleep
A lack of sleep is a significant cause of stress. Unfortunately, though, stress also interrupts our sleep as thoughts keep whirling through our heads, stopping us from relaxing enough to fall asleep. Rather than relying on medication, your aim should be to maximize your relaxation before going to sleep. Make sure that your bedroom is a tranquil oasis with no reminders of the things that cause you stress. Avoid caffeine during the evening, as well as excessive alcohol if you know that this leads to disturbed sleep. Stop doing any mentally demanding work several hours before going to bed so that you give your brain time to calm down. Try taking a warm bath or reading a calming, undemanding book for a few minutes to relax your body. Tiring your eyes with a good book can help you forget about the things that worry you. You should also aim to go to bed at roughly the same time each day so that your mind and body get used to a predictable bedtime routine.
Relaxation Techniques
For example, try self-hypnosis which is very easy and can be done anywhere, even at your desk or in the car. One very simple technique is to focus on a word or phrase that has a positive meaning to you. Words such as “calm”, “love”, and “peace” work well, or you could think of a self-affirming mantra such as “I deserve calm in my life” or “grant me serenity”. Focus on your chosen word or phrase; if you find your mind has wandered or you become aware of intrusive thoughts entering your mind, simply disregard them and return your focus to the chosen word or phrase. If you find yourself becoming tense again later, simply silently repeat your word or phrase. Don’t worry if you find it difficult to relax at first. Relaxation is a skill that needs to be learned and will improve with practice.
Keep a Stress Diary
Keeping a stress diary for a few weeks is an effective stress management tool as it will help you become more aware of the situations which cause you to become stressed. Note down the date, time, and place of each stressful episode, and note what you were doing, who you were with, and how you felt both physically and emotionally. Give each stressful episode a stress rating (on, say, a 1-10 scale) and use the diary to understand what triggers your stress and how effective you are in stressful situations. This will enable you to avoid stressful situations and develop better coping mechanisms.
Taking Control of your Problems
Stress can be triggered by a problem that may on the surface seem impossible to solve. Learning how to find solutions to your problems will help you feel more in control thereby lowering your level of stress. One problem-solving technique involves writing down the problem and coming up with as many possible solutions as you can. Decide on the good and bad points of each one and select the best solution. Write down each step that you need to take as part of the solution: what will be done, how will it be done, when will it be done, who is involved, and where will it take place.
Manage Your Time
At times, we all feel overburdened by our “to do” list, this is a common cause of stress. Accept that you cannot do everything at once and start to prioritize and write down your tasks in a diary. Make a list of all the things that you need to do and list them in order of genuine priority. Note what tasks you need to do personally and what can be delegated to others to do. Record which tasks need to be done immediately, in the next week, in the next month, or when time allows. By editing what might have started out as an overwhelming and unmanageable task list, you can break it down into a series of smaller, more manageable tasks spread out over a longer time frame, with some tasks removed from the list entirely through delegation. Remember as well to create buffer times to deal with unexpected and emergency tasks, and to include time for your own relaxation and well-being.
Learning to Say No
A common cause of stress is having too much to do and too little time in which to do it. And yet in this situation, many people will still agree to take on additional responsibility. Learning to say “no” to additional or unimportant requests will help to reduce your level of stress, and may also help you develop more self-confidence. To learn to say “no”, you need to understand why you find it difficult. Many people find it hard to say “no” because they want to help and are trying to be nice and to be liked. For others, it is a fear of conflict, rejection, or missed opportunities. Remember that these barriers to saying “no” are all self-created. You might feel reluctant to respond to a request with a straight “no”, at least at first. Instead think of some pre-prepared phrases to let other people down more gently.
Enjoyment
You need to set aside time for things you enjoy. Try to do something every day that makes you feel good, and it will help relieve your stress. It doesn’t have to be a ton of time, even 15 to 20 minutes will do wonders in relieving your high levels of stress.
Talk about Your Problems
If things are bothering you, talking about them can help lower your stress. You can talk to family members, friends, or your doctor. Although it can be difficult to open up to others about your life and problems, sometimes not holding things inside can help with decreasing your stress. Accepting help from supportive friends and family can improve your ability to manage stress. If you continue to feel overwhelmed by stress, you may want to talk to a psychologist, who can help you better manage stress and change unhealthy behaviors.
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