A More Practical Stress Management
Stress is a very common problem and it is important to know how to manage stress.
This article will provide you with some tips on the top ways of avoiding, confronting and managing stress.
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Stress is something that we all deal with every day, more so if you have children or work in a high paced environment where there are deadlines to meet, projects due and people walking into your office unexpectedly. However, too much of a good thing can be costly as well as harmful.
Stress is a natural response and part of our survival. It is important to understand that stress comes in different levels, from positive stress to negative stress, from short-term to long-term, acute to chronic and etc. Positive stress comes with excitement and happiness while negative stress involves fear, anger and depression. When it takes a more serious turn, it can be termed as a 'stressor'. However after some time of the initial stressful experience, a 'stress response' will occur. This response is normal and should not be considered abnormal or pathological. This happens as a physiological reaction that moves your body into an emergency mode which prevents further damage to the body.
This stress response is useful because it boosts your body's energy. It allows you to move fast, think on your feet, and save yourself from harm. Your heart rate will increase and your muscles will become tense ready for action. It also changes your brain activity, allowing you to process information more quickly and act without hindrance. This stress response is useful in fighting or fleeing danger or sudden shock but when the response becomes prolonged, this can have adverse effects on both the mind and body of a person.
The good news is that you can take control of the stress response by changing your thoughts and behaviors. This can be done by thinking happy thoughts, being more active, spending more time with your loved ones, and relaxing.
Try these steps to deal with stress:
Understand what is causing the stress:
Remember that stress is not always a negative feeling. You may have experienced short-term stress in your life (whether it be from taking a test, being frustrated about not finding an outfit for a party or for another reason). This type of stress is good as it gives you the energy to get things done. However, if you are always feeling stressed out or constantly worrying about something, this may mean that there is something else that needs to be addressed in your life. A big part of reducing your stress is figuring out what is causing it.
For example, if you are stressed about something at work, you can talk with your colleagues about it and this will help you feel a little better.
Stop thinking about the problem:
The easiest way to deal with stress is to stop thinking about the problem. The goal should be to solve major problems or issues that cause anxiety but to do that it may be necessary to focus on them less. By doing this regularly, you will train your brain to not worry so much and eventually, even the problem itself will become less of an issue.
This will be easier said than done but if you can try, the benefits of doing it are numerous. First, the problem will not be an issue so there is no need to worry about it and second, stress will disappear because there is nothing to worry about anymore. This will make you feel better and much more relaxed in your day-to-day life.
If you have a stressful event that has not gone away, consider what could be causing this stress. Is there something that triggers this event every time? If so, try doing a little research into what caused it and see if what happened was a coincidence or because of something that you did or did not intend. Make sure to try and identify the cause of this event so you can do something to avoid it next time.
If you find that the stress is not something that you can stop, try to deal with it in a positive way instead. Stop worrying about what might go wrong and focus on what is happening now. This will help you feel more at ease and more effective in your day-to-day life.
Engage in some activities:
There are many activities and hobbies that regular people can get involved with as hobbies or even jobs, hobbies that will give them a sense of purpose while also getting them out of the house and away from their stressful environment. Going to the gym, playing a sport, getting involved in an organization or even starting a new career can be a great way to deal with stress.
Make sure that you only choose an activity that you like and that you think you would enjoy doing. This will make it easier for you to enjoy the activity and want to do it more often. After a while, it may become difficult for you to tell the difference between when your body is stressed out and when it is relaxed as your body will be used to being more active.
Have fun:
Stress comes from many places and work is not always the only thing that can trigger it. People have trouble going out of the house due to many factors such as anxiety or depression. Going out to a fun event or even just hanging out with a friend that you normally do not see is a great way to relieve some of the stress in your life. Of course, you do not want to go through the whole day stressing yourself out and then be in shock when you finally relax.
Remember that everyone is different, so sometimes it can be beneficial to go 'out' with a friend or family member who also deals with similar issues. Often people feel better and may even discover that they are able to overcome their issues more easily when they are a part of a group since it provides them with support and someone who understands what they are going through.
One last way of dealing with stress is known as 'mindfulness'. This is when you take control of how you react to what is happening in your life. Try things like counting your breaths or meditating daily. By doing this, you will be better able to lower the amount of stress in your life and feel more relaxed.
Finding a way to relieve stress can be difficult but it is not impossible and it may not even necessary for all situations. If the stress is causing many issues for you, do the research needed to find out if it is something that can indeed be dealt with or if there are real risks involved.
Regardless of what type of stresses there are that cause you worry, try and find out what they are and how best you can deal with them before they cause serious problems in your life. Remember that you can control how you react to things and that is the main thing to remember when it comes to dealing with stress.
Whether it be a stressful event, concern, or worry, take the time to reflect on how you can overcome and alleviate the stress that is causing you problems in your life. Make sure that you figure out all of the details before starting so there are no surprises later and make sure that your plan is solid before moving forward. Once you have completed this, try following through and see if your plan works as intended. If it does not work, try again until it becomes effective enough for your needs.
Conclusion
The best and most effective way to deal with stress is to be aware when it occurs and how you can deal with it. Many people simply do not realize that there are many things that can cause stress and most of the time, they will not know what to do about it. For example, some people are unaware that there are many things that cause stress such as money worries or being a parent. Others may be worrying about their job performance or a conflict they had at work recently. There are so many different stressors in our lives so they cannot all be dealt with in the same way.