Stress is more stressful than the term itself. There seems to be no end to it – the bills will lie in the box, you will never get an extra hour in a day, your responsibilities are unlikely to be shared, and life will remain ever-demanding. But, you can have better control over your life, especially over stress, than you think. As a matter of fact, the moment you realize that you are in control of life, you will be able to manage stress. Stress management is an act of taking charge of emotions, thoughts, schedules, and ways of handling problems. Sometimes, a quick holiday and some great massage can do the trick for you.
Coping with Day-to-Day Stress
Thinking of stress makes things worse! If you are not thinking but you still seem to be bogged down, identify what’s wrong. To help yourself, prepare your stress journal. Note your daily activities in the journal. It will help you to identify those triggers that you might otherwise ignore.
Methods of coping with stress management can be productive or unproductive. What are you doing?
Smoking, drinking alcohol, overeating, losing appetite, using drugs or pills, sleeping a bit more than usual, procrastinating your goals – you are on the wrong track! These are unproductive or unhealthy ways to manage stress.
Try to adapt healthier methods to cope with stress that can contribute to your physical and emotional well-being. For instance, you can choose to avoid, adapt, accept, or alter the situation.
Since people have unique responses to stress, there cannot be a definite solution for stress management. There’s no single method that works for all.
Make Time for Some Fun and Relaxation
Stress can be managed by frequent breaks from the fast-paced lifestyle we generally follow. Beyond taking charge of your stressors and developing a positive attitude, it is possible to reduce and manage stress by nurturing your mind. If you make some time for relaxation and fun on a regular basis, you’ll definitely be at a better place in handling the stress in life.
Ways to Relax
- Go for regular walks, in the morning or evening
- Play with your pet – it’s pet therapy
- Immerse yourself in some good music, which you’ve not done in the past – music therapy
- Talk to friends more often
- Sweat out stress and tension with some good workout indoors
- Take warm bath regularly
- Maintain your journal
- Go for a spa massage once in a while to pamper yourself and open up those blocked nerves
- Gardening is a good way to relax
- Read a book that interests you
- Watch some comedy show on TV
Importance of a Healthy Lifestyle
Your stress is in your hands. You can increase stress resistance by strengthening physical health. It’s never too late to begin.
- Exercise regularly to keep your stress levels down. Physical activity is the key to prevent and reduce stress and after effects. 30 minutes of workout, thrice a week. Nothing can beat the benefits of aerobic exercise because it helps in releasing tension and pent-up emotions.
- Eat healthy to get nourishment so that your body is well prepared to handle and cope with tension. Be a mindful eater. Eat your breakfast regularly and keep up the energy levels.
- Get plenty of rest and sleep. Sleep is the fuel for your mind and body. Feeling tired increases the level of stress that makes you think irrationally.