Stress can affect our lives negatively in many ways. If you have a lot of stress in your life, it can affect your relationships, your ability to focus and be productive, and even your health! That’s why it’s so important to learn to relieve and reduce stress in your life. Read on to find out how.
Make sure you’re not taking too much on. If you’re feeling stressed, particularly at work, it could be because you’re trying to take on too much work at once. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you’re not able to handle your work load, let your boss know. Often, your boss will be more than happy to help you out or help you to find someone who can.
A great way to reduce stress is not to sweat the small stuff. You have probably heard that before many times, because it is true. People with high stress levels tend to get upset about trivial things more often than people with low stress levels. Sometimes it is best to step away from a situation and think about whether it is worth getting upset over.
If you’re in a stressful situation, before you doing anything rash, stop and count to ten. This will give you a moment to relax and cool down. It’ll prevent you from doing something you might regret and instead letting your mind calm down enough to make rational choices.
In order to keep your stress level under control, you might want to consider taking up hiking. This is important because nature can be extremely relaxing in itself. This is also important because you are getting exercise at the same time – taking out two birds with one stone!
Use your sense of smell to be stress-free. There are a large number of relaxing fragrance oils to choose from, including popular scents such as lavender, eucalyptus, and peppermint. Combine rock salt with a few drops of your favorite essential oil in a small glass container. When you’re stressed out, open the vial and smell it.
Warm up to reduce stress. Rub your hands together quickly until they feel warm. Once they are warm, put them over your closed eyes for about five seconds and breathe deeply. The darkness and the warmth work together to be comforting and help take some of your stress away.
A good tip that can help you fight stress is to start being assertive in social situations. Being assertive insures that you’re always being true to your own wants and needs. If you’re passive all the time, you’ll feel resentment to other people and it also comes with stress.
Go out for a walk. Walking will force you to breath more deeply and improve your circulation. If you’re able, walking outside is most enjoyable. However walking inside will work as well. Whichever you choose, just get up and move! It will help calm you and alleviate some stress.
Monitor your stress. Stress that becomes excessive to the point where it takes a toll on your daily life can frequently lead to depression. To avoid getting to this point, try to eliminate as much stress from your life as possible. Learn to say ‘no’ to others, and be sure to surround yourself with positive people and things. Try to use humor as a coping skill, as research indicates that this helps to reduce stress.
Try writing about your stress to relax. There are times when we would rather not talk about what is stressing us, but if you write about it, it can take some of the weight off your shoulders. Keep a journal of these writings, and in the future you can look back on them and see what you did to solve them or relieve the stress.
Take some time for yourself. Always set aside a little time each day to devote to yourself. Whether it’s a little time in the morning before anyone else is awake or in the evening when dinner is over – try to relax. Some people find that meditation helps them, some like relaxing in a warm bath, whereas others like to destress themselves by going for a walk or a run.
Often times those who find themselves under a lot of stress are simply there because they put too much on their plates. A simple way to solve this is simply cut down on the concurrent activities and responsibilities. In this way you will slowly get back to a clear level headed state.
Remember that stress from all areas of life can negatively impact you in many ways. If you practice the tips from this article, you can improve your job, your family life, and your emotional, mental, and physical well being. Remember to recognize symptoms of stress in yourself and take a step back if you need to.