Stress reduction is imperative in protecting our health. Stress can affect us on either a psychological or a physiological level. It can manifest in symptoms as diverse as gastrointestinal disorders and eye ticks. By addressing stress in a step by step approach, its cause can be identified and possibly even alleviated.
To handle stress in your life, start by minimizing stress in your life. Something as simple as laying out your work clothing for the next day can give you a better start in the morning; it may give you a few extra minutes to relax as well, instead of running around looking for a stray shoe or favorite blue sweater.
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.
Commit yourself to a hobby you love. Hobbies have the ability to take your mind off of the day’s stressors. Plus, many hobbies are also active in nature, making them doubly powerful in reducing stress. Quite a few people swear by the perspective that stepping back and partaking in a hobby gives them on their stressful tasks at hand. They often come back to the task with refreshed energy and even creative solutions that seemingly appeared out of the blue!
Exercise away the stress. Exercise uses your pent up energy in a positive way to de-stress your body. Find an exercise routine that suits you, try cardio, jogging, cycling or weight training and sweat out the stress! You will be giving your body a great workout and using the negative energy caused by stress to do something positive for yourself.
If you are driving on the road and have something on your mind, sing the words of a song at the top of your lungs. Since no one can hear you, this is a great time to let it all out to a song that you know. Singing is a great form of stress relief.
If you are not the kind of person who enjoys running than you can also consider some type of martial art. The act of hitting an object or other person in an appropriate context can really help to ease the desire to hit people in the absolute wrong situations in life.
One of the ways that you can deal with stress for the long term is to purchase a cat or dog to have around the house. When you get home from a long day at work, it is always nice to have a pet waiting for you to add excitement to your life.
Stand by a wall or other fixed object, put your hands flat on it, and push as hard as you can, pressing your feet against the floor. Any exercise is good for relieving stress, and the exertion from stretching your hamstrings is no different for stress relief.
Notice the muscles or areas that tense up when you feel anxiety or stress. Your shoulders, back, teeth or hands will often clench instinctively. If you can identify these tensed-up area, you should get in the habit of gently stretching these muscle groups as you feel yourself becoming stressed. This is going to help you reduce the tension that you feel and relax.
A great tip that can help you keep your stress levels down is to not be afraid to ask people for help when you need it. A lot of people make the mistake of not asking for help and they try to everything on their own. This can lead to a monumental amount of stress.
If there is a subject at school that you are not doing well in, consider hiring a tutor. Tutors will help to prepare you in advance, reducing stress and procrastination over time. Being prepared is the best feeling you can have on test day and it is important to feel that way if you do not want to be anxious.
A good tip that can help you keep your stress levels down is to find a hobby that completely captivates you. Having a hobby that you can fully immerse yourself in doing can go a long way in fighting stress. It can also potentially lead to a career.
To help bring your stress levels down try not to obsess over every little thing. If you’re a perfectionist you will not get anything done and you’ll end up being unhappy.
By reducing or, better yet, even eliminating stress from our lives, we can do wonders in improving our health. This isn’t an impossible task. The first step is figuring out the problem. The second step, or series of steps actually, involves addressing the problem at its root and working to eliminate it in its entirety.