You have to take charge when managing your stress and you should not let it overwhelm you. You need to take charge of your emotions, thoughts, your environment, your schedule and the general way in which you deal with your problems.
You will only be able to manage your stress once you are able to identify the source of it. It could be stress related to work, your household or even something less obvious like negative thoughts that start creeping up.
There are healthy ways to deal with your stress both mentally and physically. Mentally, there are four things to think about when handling your stress; alter, adapt, accept, or avoid. Instead of keeping your feelings bottled up, you should express them in a respectful way. You should be more assertive by taking charge of your life and dealing with problems and not letting life pass you by. It is very important to manage your time and try to lead a balanced life.
When stress gets too much do something simple like thinking about the positive things in your life.
You should not get caught up in the stress of life, you should also take time to relax and have fun. There are great activities you can do to relieve your stress. You could go to the gym for a good workout, you could take your dog for a walk if you have one, you could also get a massage if you can afford one, and you could take a long relaxing bath and even have a heart to heart with your best friend.
There are also unhealthy ways to deal with your stress and even though for the moment it seems like it is helping, in the long run they will just cause more damage. It is not a good idea to turn to these solutions. These bad habits include drinking excessively, smoking, under eating or over eating, withdrawing from your family and friends, sitting in front of your computer or television for hours, sleeping too much, taking pills to relax, lashing out at others and procrastinating.
Ultimately, you want to achieve a balanced lifestyle, but it will not be easy, so it is very important to deal with and manage your stress in a healthy way so that you can lead a happy life.
There are a number of symptoms that can warn you that you are stressing and these can make you take a step back and realise that maybe you need to slow down so that you do not get seriously ill due to this stress.
When it comes to your body you may be experiencing a few symptoms such as a dry mouth, being out of breath, feeling dizzy, sweating, headaches, bladder problems, muscle tension or pain and bowel problems.
When it comes to how you feel, it could be that you have a low self esteem, you could be irritable or anxious, and you may constantly be in a low mood or be in a bad mood.
The way you behave in general or around people can also be affected. You could have the following symptoms; struggling to focus or concentrate, being forgetful, constantly on the go, having different eating habits, and even smoking and drinking more than you are used to. When it comes to people, you could have temper outbursts, be unreasonable and feeling and being unsociable.
The way that you think, or your thoughts, can also be affected. You may find that you worry constantly about everything and everyone, you go over the same things all the time, you always imagine the worst scenario, and you have racing thoughts.
If you are someone who has a bubbly personality and a carefree spirit then you should know that you are experiencing some type of stress when you suddenly start to become anxious about things, or if you are in a foul mood and snap at family and friends. You family and friends should also notice something and will most likely bring it to your attention.
It is important for you to be able to realise what your symptoms of stress are so that you are better equipped to deal with them and that you do not resort to unhealthy habits such as comfort eating, drinking excessively and smoking.
No-one can deny that stress is one of the growing concerns in our lifestyles and big emphasis is being placed on how to be stress free. But how exactly can yo achieve that in this day and age?
The good, the bad and the ugly
Richard S Lazarus defines stress as:
A condition or feeling experienced when a person perceives that the demands exceed the personal and social resources the individual is able to mobilize.
Hans Selye was one of the founding fathers of stress research. His view in 1956 was that the biochemical effects of stress would be experienced regardless of whether the situation was positive or negative. Kenneth Pelletier, the author of Mind as Healer, Mind as Slayer found that between 80 and 90 percent of all illness is stress related and that between 75 and 90 percent of all visits to the doctor are for stress and anxiety related concerns.
The symptoms of stress
Common stress symptoms are usually impatience, irritability, anxiousness, tedium or frustration. Stress can also cause you to feel anything from hopelessness to rage and cause problems that will eventually effect long-term health as Pelletier proved. Except for the emotional turmoil that stress causes, it can also cause a change in your sleeping and eating patterns, and can cause headaches, palpitations of the heart and stomach or digestive problems, to name but a few.
So what should you do to learn the secrets on how to be stress free?
The benefits of stress management
There are definitely a number of benefits that go hand-in-hand with managing your stress levels. They are
- Greater self-confidence
- Higher self-esteem
- Increased happiness
- Enhanced relationships
- Improved health
But how exactly are you supposed to get to this stress free point in your life?
How to be stress free
To be stress free, you can employ a number of techniques that will help you to manage your stress levels. The first is physical relaxation techniques that include deep breathing, progressive muscular relaxation and the relaxation response by Dr. Herbert Benson. Other means to manage stress is to use imagery and positive thinking.
Sounding a bit too esoteric for you? Then try these methods on how to be stress free.
- Get a pet
- Get enough exercise
- Eat a healthy diet
- Take breaks to relax and
- Do activities you enjoy
And those are the handy tips on how to be stress free that you can incorporate in your daily life.
Sources:
http://www.holisticmed.com/stressfree.html
http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/stressmanagementskills/
http://www.keytostressfreeliving.com/
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTCS06.htm
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTCS04.htm
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTCS05.htm
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTCS93.htm
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTCS08.htm
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTCS00.htm