5 Great tips to handle stress
Stress has always been a part of our lives. In this hectic
time, people lead an increasingly stressful life. Experts state
that a little stress can be good; it keeps you sharp and ready
to move forward, and is sometimes vital for achieving optimum
performance. However, medical research has determined that
prolonged stress is very bad for the body, and can block the
body's natural ability to repair, regenerate and protect itself.
Over 90% of disease is caused by stress. Stress is both a
physical and psychological response. It can lead to chronic
disease, obesity, insomnia, deteriorating relationships,
depression, and more.
Stress is such a powerful and harmful force that it is vital
that you learn effective stress management techniques to live a
successful, happy, and healthy life. We must remember that we
will always come across inevitable factors that cause pressure
and anxiety on us. What we do not know is that it is not really
the problems that are difficult to deal with, but our attitude
towards them. So basically, the cause of stress is your attitude
toward these things. What, then, is an effective way to deal
with stressors?
Below are 5 great tips to handle stress.
1. Identify what makes you stressful and uneasy. Making a list
of your stressful experiences is useful. Immediately deal with
the issues that you can change, for instance waking up earlier
for work in the morning, not leaving things till the last
minute, and delegating tasks in case you are taking
responsibility for everything. Forget about the issues that you
cannot influence like being stuck in a traffic jam or not
getting into the elevator because there is no room left.
2. Calm down. A three-minute break would do you good. You can
go to the bathroom and wash your face, breath slowly and deeply,
and notice if there is tension in any part of your body and
release it. You can also listen to relaxing music, or call a
friend. Releasing your inner feelings to a friend is healthy
option.
3. It will pass; it will be over before you know it. Constantly
reminding yourself that the stressful event "will end sooner or
later" can make you see the positive sides of things. At the
same time, calm down your emotions and think of what is the best
thing to do rather than take your energy away from what needs to
be done.
4. Know yourself. Ask yourself: What triggers your anxiety? If
for example it is your job, then maybe it's time for you to
reconsider whether it would be best to find a less stressful
job. You can also make your job more tolerable by allowing
yourself to get that needed vacation or leave.
5. Learn to use your relaxation response. Just as we all have
within us the stress response, we also have an opposite
response, which is the relaxation response. A person should
elicit that on a regular basis. The relaxation response involves
two steps. Repetition, the repetition can be a word, a sound, an
expression, or a repetitive movement. The second step is to
ignore other thoughts that come to your mind while you're doing
the repetition, and come back to the repetition. The technique
should be used once or twice a day for about 15 minutes. Sit
quietly and choose a suitable repetition, like a prayer, the
sound Om, or the word love, or calm. Or you can do a repetitive
exercise, for instance yoga, jogging, Reiki. Additional
repetitive activities are knitting or handicraft. When you
incorporate this into your everyday life, you become calmer and
better able to handle the stressors. Practice makes perfect and
the more you practice relax your mind, the easier it gets.
The true causes of stress are not the problems or negative
experiences that you encounter in your life; but your attitude
toward them. So, the trick is to change your attitude and to
develop a relaxed state, because you cannot be stressed and
relaxed at the same time. It is important to understand that
what we focus on, we energize. The more you continue to think
about the factors that cause your stress, the more energy you
give it. So it is vital to let go and focus on relaxation
instead. Consequently, you're less likely to be upset by a
stressor, and thus less likely to have its harmful effect occur.
Eventually, it is your choice. You could either continue to
react in the same stressful way, or you could choose to improve
your life by changing your attitude and becoming relaxed.
There's no other way around it.
About the author:
Mona Khalaf is a Reiki master teacher. She is certified in
Vibrational medicine, is a Master NLP practitioner, and life
coach.
Find out how you can improve your life on all levels by visiting
her website at:
http://reikihealingpower.com