How many times have you gotten angry at yourself for misplacing your keys, being late to meet a friend, or forgetting to pay a bill on time? Being angry at ourselves can be one of the most stressful experiences there is. We are our own worst critic. Trying to change this behavior for the better, even a little bit, can help you feel happier and less stressed. Try some of the following tips to get started.
If you have ever heard the saying that laughter is the best medicine, it’s true! A great way to reduce stress is simply to laugh. Laughter is nature’s way of reducing the levels of stress hormones in your body. Along with reducing stress hormones, laughter also increases the good hormones in your body like endorphins and neurotransmitters, all of which help to make us happy.
You’ll face much less stress when you wake in the morning, if you’ve prepared for the day the night before! Little things, like making your lunch or setting out your clothes in advance, can help the next day run more smoothly, thereby greatly decreasing your cumulative stress.
In order to keep your stress level under control, try writing an extremely graphic or obscene letter on paper that releases all of your aggression verbally. Many people feel better after making sense of it by writing it out. Write as though nobody will ever read it, and write as vividly as possible. Destroy it thoroughly afterward.
If you have a lot of excess dry skin on your face, one of the best ways to relieve your stress is to get a facial. This will allow your skin to breathe so that you feel fresh for the better part of the day. Give yourself a facial to help your anxiety and melt away your stress.
Put worry time into your schedule. Some things do need immediate attention, but some stressors can wait until the time is more convienient. If something is bothering you, and it can wait, write it down, and when it becomes your time to worry, sit and worry about it and figure out how to fix it.
Munch on a snack if you are feeling a little overwhelmed. Foods that contain a lot of carbohydrates work to stimulate the release of the feel good brain chemical, serotonin. The release of serotonin helps to induce calm. Some crackers, a bagel, or pretzels should do the trick.
Minimizing your exposure to the daily news will actually relieve you of some inadvertent stress. Even if you don’t realize it, watching a war on television, skyrocketing prices at the supermarket or neighborhood crime rates can really wear on your psyche. Every once in a while, especially when your stress levels are high, turn on a comedy or music instead of the news.
Try to get as much sleep as you possibly can during the course of the day, regardless of how much you have to work. Lack of sleep will result in increased stress levels, which can limit your productivity and hurt the way that you feel. Aim for 8 hours of sleep a night to feel your best.
Your mind can easily become cluttered, which is a fast track to stress, if you attempt to think about more than one thing at a time. Instead of focusing on many things that you need to do, focus on only one at a time so you will be able to accomplish it easier.
A great tip that can help you fight stress is to simply say “no” to people when you know can’t put more on your plate. If you have a hard time saying “no” to people, you might find yourself in a tough situation by having to do too many things at once.
When you are feeling overwhelmed and are dealing with a great deal of stress, it is important to learn how to breathe. Stress is most common with fears, sadness and anger. When you feel any of these emotions, breathe and imagine you are breathing the emotions out of you. Awareness of what triggers stress is the first step to tackling it and breathing will ground you in the moment and make you aware of what you are feeling.
If you live near a pool, an important thing to do for stress control is to swim. Swim a few laps in the cool waters to get your mind off of your troubles and reduce stress. This is also a great form of exercise, which will indirectly help your stress level.
As you can see, being kind to yourself really isn’t that hard, and it sure feels better than being stressed and angry. Don’t underestimate the ill effects of stress on your health. Factor the above tips into your daily habits, and you will be making a very positive investment in your health and your life.