Sometimes,
you may feel like there is nothing you can do about stress. The bills will
never stop coming, the hours of the day will always be the same, and your
family and work obligations will be continuously demanding. However, you do
have more control over stress than you though possible. Stress management means
taking charge of your emotions, thoughts, lifestyle
and the way you react to issues. No matter how stressful your life seems, there
are a few things you can do to relieve some of the pressure and regain the
control you need.
 |
| Stress Management Tips: Reducing, Preventing and Coping!!! |
Understanding Stress Management
Everybody
responds to stress differently and no one-size fits all solution is available.
But, when the stress in your life seems out of control, you should take action.
Stress management teaches you healthy ways of coping with stress, helping
reduce its harmful effects and preventing it from spiralling out of control in
the future.
Stress
management is all about changing the stressful situations when you can, your
reaction when you cannot, taking care of yourself and making time for
relaxation and rest. The first step is to identify major stressors in your
life.
Identifying Sources of Stress
Stress
source identification is easy following a major life-changing event like losing
a loved one, moving houses or changing jobs, but pinpointing sources of
everyday stress can be complicated. It is easy to overlook your own behaviours,
feelings and thoughts likely to contribute to stress levels. For example, if
you are constantly worried about hitting work deadlines, maybe it is your
procrastination rather the demands of your job that is causing stress.
True
stress identification requires having a close look at your excuses, attitude
and habits, and until you accept the role you have played in creating or
maintaining it, your stress levels will always be beyond your control:
·
Are you blaming your stress on other
people or viewing it as normal and unexceptional?
·
Are you defining stress as an
unavoidable part of your home or work life or as a part of your personality?
·
Do you find yourself explaining away
stress as temporary even though you have no recollection of the last time you
took some time off?
How People Deal with Stress
Look
at how you deal with stress currently. Create a personal journal to find out if
your coping strategies are healthy or unhealthy, unproductive or helpful.
Unfortunately many people choose coping mechanisms that only compound the
issue, these include:
·
Drinking too much
·
Zoning out for hours on end in front
of the computer or TV
·
Sleeping too much
·
Procrastinating
·
Using physical violence, angry
outbursts or lashing out to take out stress on others
If
your stress coping methods are not doing anything to improve your physical and
emotional health, it is time you find healthier ones. No single method works
for every one and every situation, so you have to experiment with a few
strategies and techniques. However, always focus on you makes you feel in
control and calm.
Adopt a Healthy Lifestyle Strategy
Cater to your health needs. Go for
regular health checkups and even consider signing up for a health plan scheme. People often ask, what is health insurance and why do they need it. Health insurance should be a part of your
lifestyle & health strategy, which can be of extreme use in face of any
kind of medical emergency.
At the same time as part of dealing
with stress, carry out regular exercise and adopt a healthy lifestyle that will
increase your resistance to stress. This includes:
·
Eating a healthy diet – A nourished body is better prepared
when it comes to coping with stress, so be careful what you consume. Start your
day with the right breakfast and keep your energy up throughout the day by
adding health supplements.
·
Avoid self-medication with drugs or
alcohol – Avoid
drugs, cigarettes and alcohol even when they seem to provide you with some sort
of easy, temporary escape from stress. The best thing to do is not to mask or
avoid the issue at hand; instead, deal with it head on and with a clear mind.
·
Reduce sugar and caffeine uptake – The sugar and caffeine temporary
“highs” often end crashing your mood and energy. Reducing their uptake will
help you feel more relaxed and allow you sleep better.
·
Get enough sleep – Sleep is the fuel for your mind and
body. Feeling tired increases stress levels because it causes you to think
irrationally.
Avoid Unnecessary Stress Strategy
Stress is an automatic response from
your nervous system,
but some stressors are due to situations such as family gatherings, meeting
with your boss or your daily commute to work. When handling such stressors, you
have the option of changing the situation or changing your reaction. To help
you choose the best option in any situation, it is helpful to remember the four
A’s:
·
Avoid
·
Alter
·
Adapt
·
Accept
Although only two stress management
strategies are discussed above, there are many others that you can practice as
listed by WebMD’s ways to relieve stress. The main goal is to implement these
strategies until you find a few that really work in your situation and stick to
them.
