Remember the last time you were so stressed that you couldn’t sleep? Stress is one of the biggest sleep stealers there is. Even if you fall asleep, stress can prevent you from entering deep sleep for physical recovery or REM sleep for mental recovery. Experiment with different ways to relieve and release your stress, each day, so that your nightly slumber becomes more peaceful. Try these tips and see how they work for you.
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.
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.
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.
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.
If you can’t get to the calming beach, imagine you are there. Studies have shown that visualizing calm situations is a great stress reducer in itself. Next time you begin to feel overwhelmed, take five minutes and imagine yourself in a soothing bath, on a sun drenched beach or in a beautiful forest. You may find the stress a little less overwhelming.
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.
Music is a very effective tool for the management of stress. Music has an incredible power over people. Studies have shown that listening to music will help calm people. Though society’s taste in music is quite diverse, if you find the type that you enjoy, the stress relieving benefits will quickly be witnessed and understood.
When you get home at night, make sure that your room is as clean as possible and all of the clothes are put in your drawers. A messy room can make you feel like you have a lot of things on your plate, which can add tension and anxiety to your day.
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.
When it comes to dealing with stress, one great way to manage it is by learning an instrument. This is important because this is a wonderfully creative way to express your emotions and clear your body of stress. Not only are you helping to relax yourself, but you may also provide good music to other people.
When you are dealing with a person who has high levels of stress you should know when to avoid them. While the problem is their’s and not your’s, there is also no reason to make things even more difficult. Tell the person that you will resume the conversation at a later point.
Exercise to relieve stress. If you find that you are under stress from your job or personal situation, regular exercise can help you feel better. Taking a long walk, going to the gym, dancing or doing yoga are all forms of exercise that can help you feel less stressed.
Now you should have a few new ideas to add to your “stress management” tool kit. Everyone needs to know different techniques to manage stress, because stress is tricky because the same techniques don’t always work all of the time. Try the above tips and see if they can become part of your stress-fighting arsenal, to help you to better manage daily stress levels.