Stress Management: How To Reduce, Prevent, and Cope With Stress

Stress Management
How to Reduce, prevent, and Cope with Stress

It may seem that theres nothing you can do about your stress level. The bills arent going to stop coming, there will never be more hours in the day for all your errands, and your career or family responsibilities will always be demanding. But you have a lot more control than you might think. In fact, the simple realization that youre in control of your life is the foundation of stress management. Managing stress is all about taking charge: taking charge of your thoughts, your emotions, your schedule, your environment, and the way you deal with problems. The ultimate goal is a balanced life, with time for work, relationships, relaxation, and fun plus the resilience to hold up under pressure and meet challenges head on.
Identify the sources of stress in your life (Stressors)

Stress management starts with identifying the sources of stress in your life. This isnt as easy as it sounds. Your true sources of stress arent always obvious, and its all too easy to overlook your own stress-inducing thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Sure, you may know that youre constantly worried about work deadlines. But maybe its your procrastination, rather than the actual job demands, that leads to deadline stress. To identify your true sources of stress, look closely at your habits, attitude, and excuses:

Do you explain away stress as temporary (I just have a million things going on right now) even though you cant remember the last time you took a breather? Do you define stress as an integral part of your work or home life (Things are always crazy around here) or as a part of your personality (I have a lot of nervous energy, thats all). Do you blame your stress on other people or outside events, or view it as entirely normal and unexceptional?
Until you accept responsibility for the role you play in creating or maintaining it, your stress level will remain outside your control.
Start a stress journal

A stress journal can help you identify the regular stressors in your life and the way you deal with them. Each time you feel stressed, keep track of it in your journal. As you keep a daily log, you will begin to see patterns and common themes. Write down:

What caused your stress (make a guess if youre unsure). How you felt, both physically and emotionally. How you acted in response. What you did to make yourself feel better.
Miss: Kavita Chordiya
To learn how stress affects people differently, see the Harvard Bonus Article "How Age, Gender, and Occupation Affect Stress " below.
Look at how you currently cope with stress

Think about the ways you currently manage and cope with stress in your life. Your stress journal can help you identify them. Are your coping strategies healthy or unhealthy, helpful or unproductive? Unfortunately, many people cope with stress in ways that compound the problem.
Unhealthy ways of coping with stress

These coping strategies may temporarily reduce stress, but they cause more damage in the long run: Smoking Using pills or drugs to relax Drinking too much Sleeping too much Overeating or undereating Procrastinating Zoning out for hours in front of the TV Filling up every minute of the day to or computer avoid facing problems Withdrawing from friends, family, and Taking out your stress on others (lashing activities out, angry outbursts, physical violence)
Learning healthier ways to manage stress

If your methods of coping with stress arent contributing to your greater emotional and physical health, its time to find healthier ones. There are many healthy ways to manage and cope with stress, but they all require change. You can either change the situation or change your reaction. When deciding which option to choose, its helpful to think of the four As: avoid, alter, adapt, or accept. Since everyone has a unique response to stress, there is no one size fits all solution to managing it. No single method works for everyone or in every situation, so experiment with different techniques and strategies. Focus on what makes you feel calm and in control.
Stress management strategy #1: Avoid unnecessary stress

Not all stress can be avoided, and its not healthy to avoid a situation that needs to be addressed. You may be surprised, however, by the number of stressors in your life that you can eliminate.

Learn how to say no Avoid people who stress you out Take control of your environment Avoid hot-button topics Pare down your to-do list
Stress management strategy #2: Alter the situation

If you cant avoid a stressful situation, try to alter it. Figure out what you can do to change things so the problem doesnt present itself in the future. Often, this involves changing the way you communicate and operate in your daily life.

Express your feelings instead of bottling them up. Be willing to compromise. Be more assertive. Manage your time better.
Stress management strategy #3: Adapt to the stressor

If you cant change the stressor, change yourself. You can adapt to stressful situations and regain your sense of control by changing your expectations and attitude.

Reframe problems. Look at the big picture. Adjust your standards. Focus on the positive
Adjusting Your Attitude

How you think can have a profound effect on your emotional and physical well-being. Each time you think a negative thought about yourself, your body reacts as if it were in the throes of a tension-filled situation. If you see good things about yourself, you are more likely to feel good; the reverse is also true. Eliminate words such as "always," "never," "should," and "must." These are telltale marks of self-defeating thoughts.
Stress management strategy #4: Accept the things you cant change
Some sources of stress are unavoidable. You cant prevent or change stressors such as the death of a loved one, a serious illness, or a national recession. In such cases, the best way to cope with stress is to accept things as they are. Acceptance may be difficult, but in the long run, its easier than railing against a situation you cant change.

Dont try to control the uncontrollable. Look for the upside.. Share your feelings. Learn to forgive.
Stress management strategy #5: Make time for fun and relaxation
Beyond a take-charge approach and a positive attitude, you can reduce stress in your life by nurturing yourself. If you regularly make time for fun and relaxation, youll be in a better place to handle lifes stressors when they inevitably come.
Healthy ways to relax and recharge

Go for a walk. Spend time in nature. Call a good friend. Sweat out tension with a good workout. Write in your journal. Take a long bath. Light scented candles.
Savor a warm cup of coffee or tea. Play with a pet. Work in your garden. Get a massage. Curl up with a good book. Listen to music. Watch a comedy.
Dont get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that you forget to take care of your own needs. Nurturing yourself is a necessity, not a luxury.

Set aside relaxation time. Connect with others. Do something you enjoy every day.. Keep your sense of humor.
Learn the relaxation response
You can control your stress levels with relaxation techniques that evoke the bodys relaxation response, a state of restfulness that is the opposite of the stress response. Regularly practicing these techniques will build your physical and emotional resilience, heal your body, and boost your overall feelings of joy and equanimity.
Stress management strategy #6: Adopt a healthy lifestyle

You can increase your resistance to stress by strengthening your physical health.

Exercise regularly. Eat a healthy diet. Reduce caffeine and sugar. T Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs.. Get enough sleep.

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Stress Management

How to Reduce, prevent, and Cope with Stress

Identify the sources of stress in your life (Stressors)

Start a stress journal

Miss: Kavita Chordiya

Look at how you currently cope with stress

Unhealthy ways of coping with stress

Learning healthier ways to manage stress

Stress management strategy #1: Avoid unnecessary stress

Stress management strategy #2: Alter the situation

Stress management strategy #3: Adapt to the stressor

Adjusting Your Attitude

Miss: Kavita Chordiya

Healthy ways to relax and recharge

Learn the relaxation response

Stress management strategy #6: Adopt a healthy lifestyle

Miss: Kavita Chordiya

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