Self Stress Management

How do we deal with stress

Stress is a common cause of both psychological and physical illness today and is one of the main reasons for lost work time and visits to the doctor. But if we recognize the symptoms early enough, there is a lot that we can do to manage our own stress before the problem reaches this level. Stress, after all, is not due to the situations we find ourselves in, but our reaction to them. And the only thing we have total control over is the way we think.

We may have some ability to manage the stress factors that affect us but reducing our exposure to stressful situations is not always possible. If you feel under a lot of pressure at work, you can speak to your manager and find out what can be done to reduce it. If the scope for this is limited, you might have to consider a career change. But that is a major life decision. You can change your job but not your family.

There are some situations that you can’t change. For instance, if you are a carer for a partner or relative who has a permanent disability, you just have to find ways to deal with the practicalities. You have to recognize what you can and can’t change and learn to accept what is. There are some practical steps you can take to manage your stress.

How to Relieve Stress

You can start by decreasing or discontinuing caffeine, especially if you are a regular drinker of tea, coffee, chocolate or coke. It is an easy beginning to start your stress management, and you can decrease the intake gradually. Aerobic exercise is also a great stress management technique, as it dissipates your excess energy and drains off the adrenaline that produces the physical stress feeling.

Feeling that things are not in your control is a trigger for stress. Doing something physical can give you that feeling of being in control of something. Any kind of physical activity is good for stress reduction; it could just be a brisk walk, a game of squash or a bike ride.

Relaxation and Sleep

It is easy to tell someone to relax but not easy to do when they are feeling under pressure. There are some good methods available to do this though. Meditation is great for calming the mind and you can learn some simple techniques. There are also CDs you can get that make the process even easier. Yoga, Tai Chi and Qigong are also good, if not quick, solutions. You may be thinking that you already have too many things to do, but time for yourself is not a luxury but an essential. For your mental health, you must have some time to do things just for pleasure.Good quality sleep can be hard to come by when you are stressed. The changes mentioned previously can also contribute to a better nights sleep. You could also try turning off television and computers a good while before bedtime. Try reading or something else less stimulating. Allow yourself to notice when you feel naturally tired.

The Inner Aspect

I now regard the bout of depression I experienced as one of the best things that ever happened to me. The reason is that after a few months of being dysfunctional, I began to look for ways to get myself out of feeling so bad all the time. It eventually led me to being in a continual process of personal development. After many study courses, books, CDs and DVDs, I have really come to understand that external circumstances do not control us.

The things going on around us are just a trigger and the way we feel is our reaction to it. If we really learn to understand and control the way we think, we can choose to remain, calm, happy and resourceful and mange the stress whatever life throws at us.

Simple Stress Relief Techniques