Managing Stress Techniques
An extensive amount of stress greatly affects our psychological and even physical well-being.
If a person is stressed permanently, he/she might experience a cycle of self-blaming and self-doubting as well as work and interpersonal effectiveness decrease. Below you will find several tips on how to reduce stress.
- Breathe Deeply
When we are stressed, we usually breathe shallow and it often causes more tension. When we breathe in such a manner, our bloodstream gets less oxygen and our muscle tension increases. As a result, we can experience headaches and feel tired.
Next time when you find yourself stressed, take a moment for a deep breath. Inhale enough air, so that your lower abdomen rises. Then slowly exhale it while counting to 10. Deep breathing is one of the most effective stress management tips.
- Remember about Time Management
When your time management is poor or over-committed, you might become stressed too quickly. Make sure to plan ahead everything that depends on you. Create a schedule and take time to relax every day.
Give priority to the most urgent things you have to do and deal with them first. If you have to complete a task that seems to be very unpleasant for you, do it in the morning so that the rest of the day would be more enjoyable.
- Share Your Feelings
Hiding emotions often leads to stress and depression. One of the stress relief technics is to share your feelings. Talk sincerely to your friend, your loved one, a clergy person or anyone else who will help you look at your problem from a new perspective. This way you will clear your mind and concentrate on problem solving.
- Monitor Your Physical Comfort
Try to always feel physically comfortable. Always wear only comfortable clothing. If you have an uncomfortable chair, then change it. If you have a bad-quality computer screen, change it too. You should not wait until your discomfort becomes a big issue. Take several minutes to provide physical comfort for yourself and you will prevent many serious problems.
- Take Care of Your Body and Do Exercises
Physical activity is very important for reducing and preventing stress. When you spend most of your time sitting, you let stress accumulate in your body. That is why, when you feel upset, angry or nervous, do some exercises that will help you relax and become energetic.
Find some kind of activity that will give you pleasure and do it regularly. Running, swimming, doing Yoga or Pilates are several good ways to spend time both with pleasure and benefit. When your body is trained, it is better prepared for coping with stress.
Having enough time for sleep and eating healthy food also provides your body and mind with energy. Try to consume less sugar and caffeine. Take time for having a breakfast, because it is a good habit that will help keep you going through the whole day.
Here are useful pieces of advice that can help manage the stress:
- Take a deep breath.
- Manage your time.
- Talk to your loved ones.
- Monitor your physical comfort.
- Do physical exercises and eat healthy food.