If left untreated long enough, stress can manifest itself physically, through eating disorders or even worse disorders, like cutting and other types of physical abuse. These are just ways in which people attempt to cope with their overwhelming feelings. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, read this article before stress manifests into something a lot nastier.
Try reading a book to relieve some of your pent up stress. Losing yourself in another world, perhaps one of fantasy or sci-fi or a romance, can be a great way for your mind to go on autopilot for a bit. You’ll be able to focus on the world inside the book, rather than whatever is stressing you out.
One thing that you can do at work or school to relieve your stress is smile whenever you get the chance. When you smile, you automatically alter your mood from the inside out and make people around you happier. This will create a pleasant aura and help to reduce your stress level.
A great tip that can help you fight stress is to simply pet your dog. Studies have shown that the simple act of petting a dog can greatly reduce stress levels in the body. The next time you’re feeling stressed out just pet your dog for a few minutes.
Number your stress triggers on a scale of one to ten. A very simple issue would be rated at a stress level of one, whereas a level ten would indicate an emergency. This method can often help you to stop suffering from stress due to minor issues.
Smile your way to being stress free. Smiling shows that your are happy. But did you know that smiling can also make you feel happy and relaxed. When you smile you transmit nerve impulses from your face muscle to the center of the brain that tells you that you are calm. If you are feeling overwhelmed or stressed take a minute to smile.
Shake your stress away. Try this quick exercise. Sit or stand, stretch your arms out to your side, and shake your hands for around ten seconds. Shake them vigorously. While you are shaking, do some deep breathing. Just this short little exercise will help to relieve any tension in your back and neck and help to relieve some stress as well.
Ahhh…. Who doesn’t love a hot bath? Soaking in a bath is a great stress reliever. But, we don’t always have time for a hot bath. If you don’t have time for a bath, wash your face or even your hands with some hot water and imagine you are soaking your stresses away.
Get up and go outside for some fresh air and sunshine to help relieve stress. If you are inside an office all day or cooped up inside the house, go outside for a few minutes and see the sun and take in some fresh air. Even a small amount of time outside can help improve your mood and will work on helping you relax.
A lot of the stress that you have as the day wears on is due to your appearance. Make sure that you look as good as you can during the day, even if this means waking up early to spend more time getting ready. Maximize your appearance to minimize your anxiety.
To identify hidden sources of stress in your life, start keeping a stress journal. Each time you find yourself feeling stressed out, make a note of it in your journal. Record what happened, how it made you feel and how you responded to the stressful event or situation. This will allow you to spot patterns of stress over time so you can develop an effective long term stress management plan.
You should never drown your stress in alcohol. Having a drink every night to ease some of your stress can lead to dependency. This can actually increase your stress, the severity of your symptoms, as well as lead to alcohol dependency.
One great way to deal with stress is to go to a local improv or comedy theater. This is great because laughter is one of the best natural ways to feel better about your life. Laughter truly is a great medicine. Simply a change of scenery may also be what you need to help get over your stress.
A great way to deal with stress is to consider drinking more hot tea. Along with the relaxing nature of drinking a warm beverage, many teas contain healthy natural relaxing agents in them that can help to soothe you. Check out a variety of teas and see which suit you the best.
Stress is something that will eventually wear everyone down unless it’s taken care of. You may believe that you can beat it by just ignoring it, but stress is powerful and it will have its day in the sun. Don’t risk it with inaction. Implement the tips you’ve learned here and work to eliminate the stress from your life.