Does that image seem familiar to you? Work? Things at home? Finances? Many things can stress us out in our daily lives, but what makes us all different is how we handle it. There a 10 very easy steps to handle your stress better and to prevent it from coming back. Get rid of your anxiety for good. Follow these 10 easy steps and you'll be on your way to a stress free life!
The first step is to organize yourself. Take only 15 minutes in the morning to plan your day. The more you think ahead about how to manage activities or control your time, the less stress you will experience. Think about the demands or priorities you have and in what order you wish to address them. Some practical ways to plan ahead is to write a list of items that needed to be addressed, schedule time to work on the items you listed, and organize the list and schedule by priority.
Next, give yourself positive feedback. Combating negative thoughts and replacing them with positive ones takes practice, but the results are worth it. Review the facts. What is your evidence? Is there another way to view the situation? If not, what is the worst thing that could happen? You may have been concentrating on the worst possible, but by no means the most likely, outcome.
Socializing is another important step is reducing stress. Because we are social creatures by nature, we need other people, particularly during stressful times. Having supportive friends, family members and colleagues is one of the most significant ways to reduce stress. However, some social situations may not be beneficial. Situations that make you feel uncomfortable — where you cannot relax and enjoy yourself — may be harmful and increase your stress.
The fourth step is to exercise. After more than 1,000 studies, experts agree that exercise can reduce your stress. For maximum effect, try an aerobic exercise (such as running, swimming or brisk walking) that increases your heart rate for 20 minutes or more. If you can't do that, even a 10-minute walk can help. Yoga and nonaerobic movement such as stretching also can reduce stress by inducing a calmer, meditation like state.
Relaxation techniques are one of the most common approaches to stress reduction. How can you practice relaxed breathing? Lie on your back on a bed or recliner. Place your feet slightly apart and lightly rest one hand on your abdomen, just near your navel. Rest your other hand on your chest. Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Calmly exhale most of the air in your lungs. With each breath you take, focus on your breathing and recognize which hand is moving. As you slowly count to four, gently inhale, slightly distending your abdomen to make it rise about one inch. Pause for one second. Then as you slowly count to four, gently exhale, letting your abdomen slowly fall and your diaphragm relax upward. Pause for another second. Repeat this process five to 10 times. When you feel familiar with it, you can practice relaxed breathing while seated and, then, while standing.
Another step is to rest. Every day, plan to spend some time at rest (not asleep). Sit someplace comfortable, close your eyes and relax your muscles. Then focus on your breathing, making it very regular, and continuously repeat one word. You can repeat the word aloud or in your mind. But it should be either a simple word such as "relax" or "easy", a religious word or phrase, or a brief phrase that has no meaning — such as the "om" used in transcendental meditation — or one that simply does not make you think. Then just continue to breathe regularly, with your muscles relaxed. Relaxation is a skill that requires regular practice. It is not helpful to try it for the first time when under enormous stress.
Listening to what your body tells you is crucial to reducing stress. If you learn about how your body reacts to stress, you can also learn how to counter that stress. Learn to listen to your body’s signals and find ways to reduce your stress, even if it’s just “taking five” to clear your mind.
The eighth step is to eat a balanced diet. Several studies suggest that maintaining a good diet may help reduce the stress you feel. It is terribly difficult to give up a comforting treat, but the treat may backfire, making you feel worse. A balanced nutritious diet and a reduced amount of comfort may result in you feeling more — no less — comfortable.
Ask for help when you need it. Sometimes we simply have more work than we can handle. It’s good to remember there really is no shame in asking for help if you truly need it.One of the easiest ways to reduce your work stress and be happier at work is to delegate a few of your smaller tasks to others. With fewer things to clutter up your day you’ll be better able to concentrate on the more important parts of your job.
Finally, learn to smile a lot. Research has shown that the muscles in our faces that allow us to smile actually stimulate our brain and when this part of the brain is stimulated, it makes us feel happy. So, even if you feel sad, irritated, angry or frustrated, just by smiling, it will make you feel better. Apart from the benefit to ourselves of smiling, smiling at others can make them feel happier too.
As you can see there are many ways to Reduce Your Stress! As a result of your effort to become stress free, we want to offer you a gift! Let me explain what the gift is: it’s the opportunity to receive a Free 7 day Total Fitness Trial Membership which includes Weight training classes as well as Fitness Kickboxing classes that are sure to have you leaving with reduced stress and feeling great. The Free Trial Membership will give you a chance to experience the American Self Defense and Fitness Center's Total Fitness System! So Don’t Delay!
There are 4 reasons to accept this gift:
- You will be more organized if you reduce the stress of setting your priorities.
- When stress gets to be too much, it can take a toll on our health and wellbeing.
- Reducing stress helps you stay healthy and may result in weight loss.
- If you aren’t stressed out, you will become more friendly and social, which will help you create healthy relationships.
