Stress often comes by surprise and no one would choose to be stressed out if they could help it. But the truth is that you have more control than you know. The reasons for your stress might not be your doing, but you have control over how you deal with them. Here are some great ways to deal with stress.
A journal can help reduce stress. All it takes is a pen and paper and a few minutes to write down whatever is bothering you. Often just getting it out on paper puts things in a better perspective. Writing about our problems releases emotions that may otherwise be pent up, thus increasing our stress levels. Furthermore, seeing our problems on paper can sometimes allow us to see possible solutions to our problems.
If you are around family for most of the day, try to hug them as often as possible. This will make you feel at peace with the people that you care for the most, which will reduce your level of anxiety. Show affection towards the ones you love to eliminate stress.
If you are tired of the same routine each and every day, then make alterations. Take a different route to work or eat something different to give you an alternative perspective towards the day. Monotony can sometimes make you jaded, which can lead to more stress, so try to implement at least one change each day.
Limit the amount of alcohol that you drink during the course of the night when at the bar or club. When you consume alcohol, your stress levels will go up and you will become flustered quicker. Instead, drink soda or a fruit drink if you want to limit your stress.
One way to manage your stress is to take an amount of money that you can do without and spend it on something completely unnecessary that you might have always wanted. This will help to clear your mind and give you a sense of power and self accomplishment.
Many stress-related problems can be caused by a poor diet so go through what you are eating with a fine comb. If you find that you are eating in an unhealthy fashion than you should remove the bad things and try to replace them with healthy and tasty alternatives.
If you are a teenager or twentysomething, playing video games like Final Fantasy can relieve stress. Playing games lets you focus on the act of playing, letting you clear your head of negative thoughts. Playing a game by yourself is good for your stress levels, but you can get an even better effect, and improve your mood, by getting into some multi-player action with your friends.
A great tip that can help you keep your stress levels down is to stop relying on your alarm clock to wake up in the morning. Waking up to an alarm clock can make you very stressed out. Learning to wake up naturally is a much better alternative to an alarm clock.
Try to stay away from stressful situations and stay prepared in case something goes wrong. For example, keep a spare house key in a secure location, always have a spare ready meal in stock at work and arrange backup babysitting options in case your regular sitter is ill. A problem that you have planned and prepared for in advance is much less likely to turn into a stressful situation.
Start meditating. Meditation is an effective stress reducing methodology. Meditation can have both minimal effects on our health and gargantuan effects. It can aid in controlling our blood pressure, help control compulsive eating, and even act as a heart rate regulator. All it takes is a few minutes of meditation a day to begin to make improvements.
Music is good to help you relax. When the stress builds up, put in a favorite CD, lie back, listen, or even sing along. Doing this will provide your mind with a much needed break from your stress.
Practice meditation. This is a great way to relax both your body and mind. Regular meditation leads to consistent relaxation throughout your day. This also helps to keep your stress in check, even when you are in tense situations.
One of the newer practices to reduce stress is using aroma therapy. There are hundreds of plant essences and essential oils that are known to have stress relieving qualities. A scent like lavender is known to produce a feeling of relaxation and calm while geranium will bring down stress levels. These scents can be used to reduce stress while working or while meditating.
Take these tips and take control of your stress. Stress can come into your life often, but you can decide how strong an effect it has on you and your life. Make a decision to fight stress and soon you will find that you find stress easier to deal with and not such a big deal at all.