Society has evolved into a fast-paced world, with everyone aiming to be a high achiever. Under this circumstance, stress whether mild or chronic is inevitable and it is the body that pays for it.
We need to know to recognize when we are excessively stressed, and how to handle it.
What is stress?
Stress is a normal feeling that people experience from time to time. As we go about our daily routines, we are faced with situations that are either or threatening. These situations are handled by the body differently. When the body senses danger or threat, the body is prompted into a state to either fight or take flight.
This is the body’s means of safeguarding you from danger. It can work to your good, by helping you to focus on assignments so as to produce better results, win competitions, get good grades after studying hard and the likes.
However, stress can get to a point where it stops being of any help and rather starts causing damage to you. We panic and worry when we face situations that prove to be so stressful either at work or in our personal relationships.
Your health begins to deteriorate, you start experiencing mood swings, productivity drops at this point, even your relationship with others suffer.
In general, the quality of your life is no more the same.
Stress can affect the outcome of your life negatively and should, hence, be handled quickly.
When you notice that you are experiencing these signs, it time to slow down, take a break to address the cause so you can gain back your life balance. The key is learning to recognize the signs and taking immediate actions to prevent its harmful effects.
This is important because stress may be unavoidable but how it is handled is our choice.
You can manage stress and situations that place you in that situation by taking responsibility for your lifestyle, thought pattern, and emotions.
Here are a few tips that can help you manage stress.
Identify the Triggers of Stress in your Life
Identify the source(s) of the stress first. This will help you know how to address each. While it may be easy to identify obvious stressful situations like moving from home, changing jobs, or losing a loved one, spotting other sources of daily stress which are not so obvious can prove to be tough.
In order to recognize your true source of stress you should look into your attitude, and daily habits and routines.
Take Adequate Care of Yourself
Being in good shape positions you in a better state of mind to handle stress. Create time for rest and take a nap, have fun, take out time for relaxation either alone or in the company of your loved, exercise, eat healthily, and keep a great balance between your personal life and work.
Think Positively
Thinking positively can make a person see life differently and feel confident about himself. You should always envisage a positive outcome when faced with tasks that seem difficult. Every situation has a way out. Dwell on the positive angle. Relax and then try another strategy if what you are currently doing does not yield the expected results.
Focus on your successes rather than your failures. Analyze the route you took to arrive at the success and repeat every step you took. Reminding yourself of every obstacle that you overcame will help you feel in control.
Talk to Someone that can Help
Reach out to others for help and guidance when you are at your wit's end.
Social engagement is one of the most efficient and quickest ways to reduce stress and to avoid overreacting to both external and internal events that you recognize as threatening.
Talk to someone who is trustworthy or you can depend on to listen to you and proffer solution about what you feel or are going through. This could be colleagues, close friends, and family.
You could also ask for help in online forums where such issues are discussed if the stress is work-related.
Accept Things You Cannot Change
Some sources of stress in our lives are unavoidable and can’t be changed. Combining work and family can be stressful, with meals to be cooked, laundry, housekeeping, and children running up and down, you may just feel stressed.
I remind myself that so many couples out there would do anything to hear the constant cries I hear daily and sometimes take for granted. Acceptance may prove to be difficult but in the long run, it is a better way than trying to fix a situation that you can’t change.
Forgive Easily
Accepting that we all live in an imperfect world where people make mistakes is a good way of addressing issues. No one person is perfect, not even you. Let go of resentments and anger by forgiving yourself, and others and move on with your life.
When you have done these and you still find that you have not been able to manage your stress level try the following to relax and calm your nerves
Things you can do to relax
1. Do some yoga
Find a quiet room and do some yoga. Yoga helps your body and mind relax. YouTube is full of videos on Yoga routines which anyone can easily practice. This will prove to be helpful as you take the step to release pent up pressure so your entire body benefits and stays healthy.
2. Listen to your favorite music
Listening to music allows you to relax. You unplug from whatever may be causing you stress and get your mind to enjoy the peace it deserves. This is an effective way to reduce your stress levels. With earphones, you can block out the noise around you and draw strength from the music.
3. Take a walk
Take a walk or jog around the park and enjoy the serene view of nature. If you live in a noisy neighborhood, find a quiet place to walk. This lets you organize your thoughts and you get to view things from a clearer perspective.
4. Play games
Computer games or physical games can do the trick. If you love staying indoors then computer games, scrabble, and ludo or other board games will help you release the stress that may have built up in your body.
You can play these games with your friends or family. If you however love outdoor games, playing against others will help you focus on something other than your problems.
5. Hit the gym
Going to the gym will help you relieve all the mental and muscle tension that builds up in the course of the day. The demands of most jobs require that you stay seated for long periods of time, and this is bad for your health.
Workouts in the gym will definitely help you reduce the tension that has been building up. You will definitely meet new people and get to mingle with others.
6. Go to the Spa
Give yourself a spa treatment and feel relaxed. Massage therapy will loosen the nerves and allow the body get relaxed. This will rejuvenate both mind and body and allow you to face whatever may be stressing you with a clear mind.
7. Watch movies
Watching movies lets you forget what may have been stressing you. Take some time off and watch a movie on Netflix, rent box office movies on cable like DSTV, or subscribe to any other online streaming service since cinemas may take some time to reopen and operate full-scale services.
You can dedicate weekends to watching these movies with your loved ones. For those who do not enjoy watching movies, documentaries will come in handy.
8. Take a Trip
Take a vacation and visit new places, this is one of the best stress relievers. You can visit a recommended tourist location or just go to a location you've always wanted to visit. This will get your mind off whatever may be stressing you.
Also, while on vacation, you will get to interact with new people and learn about diverse cultures. Traveling helps reduce tension and you can take your family along.
Great tips. I've been told yoga is great for stress, I've never tried it. Also, a doctor told me once to never feel guilty for sitting down and resting, because that's important, just like excercise and food intake
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