Start a Stress Journal A stress journal helps you to identify regular sources of stress in your life, as well as how you cope. Try tracking your stress so that you record the stressful events, how you respond to them, and coping strategies that you use. If you have a smart phone, you can download a free stress-tracking app that will help you track stress. The key is to keep track of your stress, so that you can both understand what is causing it and work on managing it.
By dipping into our stress a little, trying to get a better idea of where it is coming from and how we can manage it effectively, we can avoid some negative consequences down the road. While nobody can escape all stress, you can try to deal with it in healthier ways that improve your recovery potential. Fortunately, there are a number of science-based tools that help you counteract stresss negative effects in a healthy manner.
That is why it is important to have effective stress relievers to help you quiet down both mentally and physically. Effective stress management helps you to release the grip stress has over your life, so that you can be happier, healthier, and more productive. Stress management offers a number of strategies for dealing with the stresses and challenges (adversities) in your life in a more positive way. Whether you had a difficult day at work, or are feeling stressed out by how many things you need to get done, these strategies may provide some immediate relief from your stress.
In the privacy of your own home, there are a number of stress-relieving strategies that can help you to quickly unwind. Or, consider seeing a therapist or counselor, who can help you discover other ways to manage stress. A certified counselor or other healthcare provider may be able to help you find ways to decrease your stress symptoms.
It is not always possible to avoid a stressful situation or to escape the issue, but you can work on decreasing any stress you are feeling. Reframing the way you think about the stressful event may help manage emotions, decreasing feelings of stress. Instead of getting stressed about a lot in your life, focus on what you can control, like how you choose to respond to problems. Assess if it is possible for you to change the situations causing your stress, maybe by taking off some responsibilities, relaxing your standards, or asking for help.
If you are feeling stressed, whether it is from work or something more personal, the first step toward feeling better is identifying the cause. While it might feel like you cannot do anything about the pressures of work and home, there are steps you can take to reduce stress and take back control. Stress causes all sorts of negative physical and emotional consequences, but there is a growing body of research into simple stress-management techniques that may prevent or lessen negative side effects, and may help to improve our quality of life and our overall well-being. Here, we want to get started, giving you an overview of what stress is, what are the signs of stress, simple steps that can be taken when feeling stressed, and providing practical tips to prevent stress, in order to demonstrate why we are excited to work toward a less stressed country.
We mentioned before that moderate levels of stress may help us to function better in difficult situations,34 but excessive or long-term stress may cause physical problems. Negative stress can prevent you from feeling and performing at your best–mentally, physically, and emotionally. When the stressor is negative and cannot be countered or avoided–such as being laid off from a job or experiencing a loved ones health crisis–or the stressors experiences become chronic, our physiological responses to stress may harm our mental and physical health. Because individuals react to stress situations in different ways, a situation one individual may find bearable may be a chronic source of stress for another.
In people with heart problems, acute stress may cause an abnormal heartbeat (arrhythmia) or even lead to a heart attack. Acute stress can be very painful, but it passes quickly and usually responds well to coping techniques such as breathing calmly or engaging in vigorous physical activity.
Long-term stress (chronic) is caused by stressful situations or events that continue for an extended time, such as problems at work or conflicts in your family. Panic attacks can occur without any apparent reason, but can result from living with a high stress level over an extended period. How your body reacts to stress, and reacts to it, may be good in the short-term (like helping you to get around that huge pothole on the highway, or finishing that last-minute paper), but prolonged stress takes its toll on your body and your mind.
When stress is frequent and intense, it strains your body and makes you incapable of functioning. Add in the fact that making good decisions is difficult when we are feeling overwhelmed by stress at that time, and the results can be overwhelming. Sometimes, we may be feeling particularly stressed about an unfortunate interaction we had with someone, overwork, or daily nuisances such as getting stuck in traffic.
Breathe Easy Advice Take a deep breath. It might sound a bit of a cliche, but when it comes to stress, it is a proven fact. Deep breaths can also help to prevent symptoms of stress, should you have to, say, participate in a stressful conference call or give a negative performance appraisal. Deep breathing, taken in to the tune of five seconds, held for two seconds, and released at the tune of five seconds, may help to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, helping to decrease overall stress and anxiety that you might experience.
Talk to a friend When you are feeling stressed, take time to call a friend and talk through your problems. Listen to music If you are feeling down from a stressful situation, try taking a break to listen to relaxing music.
Taking care of your long-term mental and physical health is a big part of managing stress. There are also many volunteer organisations that can help you address causes of stress and give advice on ways of improving. A good support network of colleagues, friends, and family members can help ease the strain on work and help you to look at things differently.