WHAT IS STRESS

10 Effective Techniques To Reduce Stress

Whether you’re the mail guy, the CEO, or probably the average working parent, stress is one unwanted visitor you would love to boot out of your life.

There are many variants when it comes to stress. Coping with life, and carrying the problems that may or may not belong to you can scratch away the little joy and happiness that you may have.

When life becomes a routine, it’s a state of mental conditioning that is like taking a bitter pill down your throat, causing you to lose your sense of self, and your sanity.

It is important to find ways to decrease and prevent stressful incidents and decrease negative reactions to stress. There are several ways to manage stress, and eventually remove it out of your life.

Here are some of the things that can be done.

 

1. Change your thinking

When an event triggers negative thoughts, you may experience fear, insecurity, anxiety, depression, rage, guilt, and a sense of worthlessness or powerlessness.

These emotions trigger the body’s stress, just as an actual threat does. Dealing with your negative thoughts and how you see things can help reduce stress.

 

2. Change your lifestyle

Some behaviors and lifestyle choices affect your Stress Level. Even if they don’t cause stress directly, they can interfere with the ways your body seeks relief from stress.

Get enough sleep, since your body recovers from the stresses of the day while you are sleeping. Some other changes you can make;

· Eat a balanced diet for a nutritional defense against stress.

· Get moderate exercise throughout the week.

· Limit your consumption of alcohol.

· If you smoke, try quitting.

· Try to balance personal, work, and family needs and obligations.

 

3. Know your trigger points

Presentations, interviews, meetings, giving difficult feedback, tight deadlines…. Sometimes, the heart rate goes up just thinking about them.

Make your own list of stress trigger points or hot spots. Be specific. Is it only presentations to a certain audience that get you worked up? Does one project cause more stress than another?

Knowing what causes you stress is powerful information, as you can take action to make it less stressful. Do you need to learn some new skills? Do you need extra resources?

 

4. Avoid “stress sneezers”

Stressed Out people sneeze stress germs indiscriminately and before you know it, you are infected too.

Protect yourself by recognizing stress in others and limiting your contact with them. You don’t need to play stress doctor and teach them how to better manage themselves.

That will only cause you grief and in the end, you won’t be able to help them either. If you do want to help, just direct them to useful resources (like this article).

 

5. Learn from the best

When people around you are losing their head, who keeps calm? What are they doing differently? What is their attitude? What language do they use? Are they trained and experienced?

Figure it out from afar or sit down with them for a chat. Learn from the best stress managers and copy what they do.

 

6. Don’t burn the candle at both ends

Lack of sleep, poor diet and no exercise wreaks havoc on our bodies, which consequently affects the mind. Kind of obvious, but worth mentioning as it’s often ignored as a Stress Management Technique. Listen to your mother and don’t burn the candle at both ends!

 

7. Improve your Time Management

Time Management Skills can allow you more time with your family and friends and possibly increase your performance and productivity. This will help Reduce Your Stress.

Some of the strategies you can employ are;

· Save time by focusing and concentrating, delegating, and scheduling time for just you.

· Keep a record of how you spend your time, including work, family, and leisure time, and then prioritize your time by rating tasks by importance and urgency. Redirect your time to those activities that are important and meaningful to you.

· Manage your commitments. Don’t commit to what is not important to you.

· Deal with procrastination by using a day planner, breaking large projects into smaller ones, and setting short-term deadlines.

 

8. Have a social support network

 

Any positive support we receive from family, friends, and the community is a major factor in how we experience stress. A good social support network is where you have the knowledge that you are cared for, loved, esteemed, and valued.

More and more research indicates a strong relationship between social support and better mental and physical health.

 

9. Practice proper breathing

This is something I’ve learned from a martial arts instructor: You can trick your body into relaxing by using heavy breathing. Breathe in slowly for a count of 5 then breathe out for a count of 5.

Repeat this ‘5 by 5′ breathing until your heart rate slows down, your sweaty palms dry off and things start to feel more normal.

 

10. Acknowledge that stress is good

Make stress your friend! Based on the body’s natural “fight or flight” response, that burst of energy will enhance your performance at the right moment.

Ever seen a top sportsman totally relaxed before a big competition?  Use stress wisely to push yourself that little bit harder when it counts most.

It is important that you identify the coping strategies that work best for you. One way to do this is by recording the stressful event, your reaction, and how you cope in a stress journal.

With this information, you can work to change unhealthy coping strategies into healthy ones.  Those that help you focus on the positive.

Granted, that being stressed can be a total drag, but that should not hinder us to find the inner peace of mind that we have wanted for a long time.

About the Author

The author has taken several courses relating to stress management and relief. He also contributed a chapter for the website http://www.Conquering-Stress.com

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