You deserve a balanced, less stressed life
Stress. It’s part and parcel of today’s hectic, fast-paced life.
According to a psychologist at Legacy Healing Center, stress can lead to serious health conditions like irritability, headaches, and a whole list of potential health problems.
It seems that rather than motivating us to conquer our problems and move on, severe stress reduces our competence, making us less able to cope.
Sure, you may come across people tell you, “don’t stress,” but how often has that magnified your stress?
I know it does for me.
Several ideas that have helped me relieve the stress, no matter the situation:- Identify the Cause of Your Stress
- Safety threats – as humans, we have a basic desire for safety. If you don’t feel safe in any aspect, your body perceives it as a threat to survival, triggering stress.
- Work pressure – are you overloaded? Does your boss demand too much? Can’t stand your coworkers?
- Health stress – are you suffering from a chronic illness? Does someone depend on you for optimal health?
- Financial stress – do you worry about having enough money for the future? Is your source of income stable? Do you live beyond your means?
- Sleep/Rest
.
- Get Active
You’ve heard of “fight or flight,” haven’t you? These are the hormones that are hard-wired into your brain and designed to protect you from bodily harm when you’re under threat.
Yet, stress in today’s world is hardly fixed by a fight or flight response. Fortunately, you can use physical activities to metabolize excess stress hormones and restore body, mind, and soul to a clearer, calmer, and more relaxed state of mind.
When you feel worked up, go for a walk, a run, or hit the gym. Try to fit some physical activity into each day to improve the quality of your sleep, too.- Make Healthy Food Choices
When you’re stressed, how often do you find yourself reaching for junk?
Stress eating is really common.
When your stress levels are high, try to stay away from fatty and sugary snacks and rather reach for nourishing fruits and vegetables, along with foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, like fish, to reduce your stress hormones.- Hone Your Time Management Skills
I do this: make a list of everything I need to do and then prioritize. Figure out which tasks I can do myself and which ones I can delegate, be it chores, errands, or work-related tasks.
Then, note which tasks are urgent and which ones can wait another week, another month, or can be put aside for when I have spare time.
You can easily break down an unmanageable task list into smaller tasks spread out over time. I do remember that life happens, and buffer times to deal with an emergency or unexpected tasks.
I schedule in relaxation and exercise time to make sure you are doing everything you can to combat stress.
Turn Stress into Success
Change stress from being an unconscious behavior to a conscious response.
“It’s time we learned the truth about stress. It’s time we identified the thoughts that actually create our stress and learned to dismantle them one by one.”
-Andrew J. Bernstein
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2 users commented in " My 5 Step Guide to Combat Stress "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackGreat read. Most people need to take this advice. I will be sharing it!! Keep up the great posts.
It’s difficult to find educated people in this particular topic, however, you sound like you
know what you’re talking about! Thanks