What stresses you out? Is it the daily commute to work? The heavy traffic? Your boss, your work, your colleagues? Family members? Errands and chores? Perhaps, the more important question is how do you deal with stress?
There are so many things around us that can stress our mind, body and spirit. When we are under pressure or face difficult situations, our body releases the stress hormone, cortisol, which initiates our bodies’ physiological response to stress. The heart beats faster, the blood pressure elevates, and blood flow in the body increases.
The constant release of the stress hormone due to the presence of environmental stressors can have severe long-term effects on our health. Thus, it is important to stay calm and relaxed when faced with stressful situations.
5 Best Ways to Manage Stress
You cannot totally eliminate stress from your life. However, there are techniques that will help you respond to stress in a more positive and proactive way. Here are some of the best ways to manage stress when you find yourself in a tough situation.
- Take deep breaths.
This may sound like an overused cliché, but truthfully, it’s the easiest and most doable technique you can perform when you’re under pressure. When you feel overwhelmed, take a step back, close your eyes, and breathe deeply while quietly counting to ten.
Deep breathing helps keep you calm by increasing the supply of oxygen to your brain. It is also a great way to relax your mind and make you feel connected to your body. It helps realign your thoughts and is essential in achieving healthier thinking.
After a tiring day, why not spend a few minutes doing meditation or yoga. These activities will also help you relax by making you focus your attention on your breathing and posture. Furthermore, there are a number of yoga poses that can help in relaxing tensed muscles. Try the eagle pose that relieves tension in the back, neck, and shoulders.
- Do a digital detox.
Sitting in front of a computer for long periods of time or staring too much at your mobile phone screen can bring about unnecessary stress. Not only do they put strain on your eyes, but they also put pressure on you to respond quickly to every text, comment, or email you receive.
Studies have shown that being constantly connected and glued to electronics adds unnecessary stress to our lives. To combat this, make sure to switch off your electronic devices for at least an hour before going to bed and spend as much time away from your screens as you can.
You can also do a digital detox where you shut down all your electronic devices for a few days and engage in activities that wouldn’t require you to use them. This can include camping, gardening, or simply spending quality time with your family and friends. After all, physical interaction is better than virtual meetings, right?
- Adapt stress coping habits.
When you’re feeling burnt out, try to learn new hobbies that can help alleviate your stress levels. Studies have shown that repetitive motions such as cross-stitching, knitting, and sewing can have a positive impact.
Another activity that you can engage in is to go on nature when you are stressed. This will help improve your overall wellbeing and the exercise will release happy hormones, and endorphins, and counteract the impact of cortisol in your body. Furthermore, you can also try gardening, as being around plants is a proven way to help you relax.
- Listen to calming music.
Music has been proven to be an effective way to relax and calm down during stressful periods. Try listening to soft and soothing music to help you relax or listen to any feel-good song, and your brain is guaranteed to flood with happy hormones called dopamine that counteracts the impact of stress.
On your drive home, while sitting in heavy traffic, try putting the volume up to your favourite song and sing or bob along to help relieve stress tension.
- Be grateful.
Despite the many things that can go wrong, never forget to be thankful for what you have. A mindset shift can do wonders to your day—and even to your life.
For example, if your boss is putting you under pressure about a deadline, be thankful that you have a job while many others are struggling to find work. If your children are stressing you out, be thankful that you have children. If you’re stuck in traffic, appreciate the fact that you have a car that can take you anywhere you want to go.
Instead of looking for things to complain about, recognize the things that make you happy. If you practice gratitude, you will find that there is a lot to be thankful for despite all the stressors around you. You will start to see life more positively, and the stress will not affect you as much.
Positive attitude
Stressors are everywhere. You will always find yourself in a situation where you can’t control what’s happening around you, whether it’s a bad storm, non-moving traffic, or not having much money. In situations like these, what you can control is your thoughts and actions. It takes a strong mind, discipline, and practical strategies to effectively deal with stress so that it won’t bring harmful effects to your mental and physical well-being.
So when you find yourself in a difficult situation, try not to get stuck dwelling on negative feelings. By following the advice in this article, you will gradually feel calmer and regain peace of mind.
Great tips! I’ll definitely incorporate these into my daily routine to manage stress more effectively. Thanks for sharing!
I know my anxiety stems from thinking I have to figure out everything all at once. Breathwork and meditation have really helped me to reduce stress. I find the best way to calm my nerves is when I breathe in, hold, breath out, hold -each for 4 seconds.