Manage Stress With These Tips
These days it’s easy to feel stressed, whether from a bad interaction with someone online or daily inconveniences like getting stuck in traffic. However, chronic stress keeps you from feeling and performing your best.
Since no one is entirely stress-free, knowing how to manage stress and your energy has become vital to improving your quality of life. We discussed the common signs and symptoms of experiencing too much pressure in the previous article. In this article, we break down how you can deal with stress.
Positive Self-Talk
We all talk to ourselves mostly in our heads and sometimes aloud. Our self-talk can be negative (“I’m so stupid”) or positive (“I can do this”). While we might not think much of it, negative self-talk has the power to increase stress, while positive self-talk can help keep you calm. Many of us find ourselves doing more of the former, but the good news is that you can shift your default self-talk mode with practice.
So, instead of saying, “I can’t do this,” say, “I won’t lose if I try. I can do this.”
If you’re used to telling yourself, “I’ll never improve,” change it to “I can improve. I’ll take it one small step at a time.”
Instead of telling yourself, “I screwed up,” every time you make a mistake, say, “It’s alright. I’m human, and I make mistakes. I’ll do better next time.”
Practice talking to yourself positively every day, whether in the grocery store, at your desk, or whenever you notice that you talk negatively to yourself.
Create A List of Emergency Stress Relievers
We will find ourselves in situations where defusing stress is crucial. This can be in a work meeting or discussing certain subjects with your loved ones. In moments like these, you must know how to defuse stress before burning relationships that are important to you.
Prepare for times like these by coming up with a list of emergency stress relievers. You may need different tactics for various situations, and sometimes it helps to combine them.
Examples of emergency stress relievers:
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Walk away from the confrontation.
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Count to 10 before speaking or reacting
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Take slow, deep breaths until you feel your body relax.
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If you can, pace around the room. This helps defuse extra energy from stress.
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Sleep on it and respond the next day if it’s not urgent. This works incredibly well for stressful emails or social media trolls.
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Break down issues into smaller, manageable chunks
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Pet a dog or talk to someone you trust
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Workout. Exercise is a great stress reliever.
Make Time for Rest
Balance your workday or week with some relaxing, healing activities. Find your happy place and make time for it. This is essential to help you avoid burnout.
Some healing activities you might want to try:
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Reading a book or a magazine
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Painting, drawing, or coloring
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Watching your favorite show
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Working in the garden
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Doing a home improvement project
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Meeting a friend for coffee or a meal
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Going on a bike ride
The important thing is to find what works for you. You’ll feel better once you stop the stress loop.
