By: Cheryl Hitchcock
Stress comes in many forms and can be found in many situations and circumstances. Even during the happiest times in life, such while planning a wedding or welcoming a baby, there is a certain amount of good stressors. For this reason, most of us need tools for stress management so that we don’t burn out and end up with physical or mental health problems.
Here are 10 stress relief tips for gaining better control of stress:
- Practice Acceptance. Stress is a fact of life and trying to avoid it can cause problems to escalate. Anxiety, depression, procrastination, insomnia, and even physical illnesses are often the result of stress that isn’t well managed. Rather than running from it, accept that stress is a normal part of life
- Challenge Your Perception. How you view the stressors in your life can make or break a stressful situation. If you can’t avoid a situation or circumstance, choose to view it through a different lens. This means practicing being objective, rather than getting your emotions fired up.
- Focus on the Bright Side If you have a stressful situation that you cannot combat, take hold of the one thing you can control: your attitude. It is possible to change your thoughts to think more positive. You’ll know you’re thinking on the bright side when you start feeling better inside.
- Write it Down. There is something important that happens when you write down what is stressful and then make a list of what needs to get done to manage it. The writing process tends to get the mental clutter out of your head, leaving room to think more clearly. Even if you don’t solve the problem, this process helps you see a stress from a new perspective.
- Focus on Priority Tasks. If you have a lot on your plate the tendency is to multi-task. However, what many people don’t realize is while you’re multi-tasking, your stress level is actually increasing. When we multi-task we can’t give 100% effort and attention, which can easily lead to more stress.
- Delegate. If you have too much on your plate, learn to delegate tasks to others. This can save you tons of time and mental energy. If delegating is hard for you, try delegating just one thing. Most people want to help each other, so consider delegating as a gift.
- Create a Plan. It’s true that certain stressors are going to occur again and again. After you’ve accepted the inevitable, it’s time to make an action plan. This plan can help you immediately know where to turn and what to do when you’re hit with stress. It’s helpful to create it when you’re in a more relaxed state and then refer to it in times of stress.
- Mental Downtime. One of the important parts of stress relief is to incorporate mental downtime. This could be in the form of meditation, prayer, connecting with a higher power, or simply practicing being present.
- Deep Breathing. It’s easy to take breathing for granted, but this is a stress reliever than can be done anytime, anywhere. Try doing an entire breath in for five seconds and then out for five seconds. Visualize your entire body calming down during the breaths.
Look Out the Window. The natural world is a precious gift that can combat stress and anxiety. The observations of plants and animals can help slow everything down and relax your mind, body, and spirit.
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About the Author:
Cheryl Hitchcock is an Author, Therapist, Coach, and Public Speaker. She works with the mind and the behaviours to overcome some of the most debilitating, negative, blocking behaviours that cause stress and stress related illnesses. Learn more at www.integritycounsellingservices.com.
