Stress Reduction Techniques

Photo by Maggie Smith

Stress Reduction Techniques

HW Guest Writer: Ellek Ringo

Editor: Netalink

"Stress: The confusion created when one's mind overrides the body's basic desire 

to choke the living daylights out of some guy who desperately deserves it."

Author: Unknown

We are now living in a society with many problems, causing us to get stressed.  

There were a lot of methods that were used to relieve stress, ranging from drinking alcohol to hitting a wooden figure which suspiciously looks like your boss.  

So how exactly do we deal with stress? Well, I am going to tell you about some different ways I used to get out of stress and live a full and happy life. First thing I do whenever I am experiencing stress is that I identify the source of stress. It could be a slow internet, paperwork due tomorrow, pirates, in other words it can be anything that will cause you worries. But sometimes source of stress can be a lot deeper than you think. Maybe all those paperwork is because of your procrastination?

When we identified a source of stress we will begin our war against it.

Things needed to be avoided during stress:

• Smoking

• Drinking too much

• Overeating or undereating, or not eating at all

• Sleeping too much (it may sound fun but it does not help in dealing with stress)

• Making a schedule for the whole day, filling up every minute, making up legitimate reasons in not facing a problem now

• Avoid being alone even if your pride will get in the way. Being alone will only worsen stress. 

• Do not stare at the wall or any other object in order to zone out(that includes TV) 

• Don’t use words such as always, never, must, should. These are blame words, they will only make matters worse. 

• Do not confused stress with depression. These are two different things.

By the way, other things that I also do while in constant stress is that I write in a stress log or stress journal, whatever you want to name it. They help in identifying the problem, but sometimes you could be in so much stress and apathy that you can’t force yourself to write anything.

Alright in order to avoid stress there are few simple steps:

• Always try to think positive, it will improve your life greatly. Trust me. 

• Learn to say no to things that you know you can’t handle.

• Avoid people who stressed you out. 

• Avoid stressful topics. They can seriously add more stress. 

How to lower stress level:

• Look at the bright side: Try to view stressful situations from a more positive perspective. Rather than cursing the constant traffic jam, look at it as an opportunity to pause and regroup, listen to your favorite radio station or enjoy some alone time.

• Analyze the big picture. Take perspective of the stressful situation. Ask yourself how important it will be in the long run. Will it matter in a month? A year? Is it really worth getting upset over? If the answer is no, focus your time and energy elsewhere.

• Adjust your standards. Perfectionism is a major source of avoidable stress. Stop setting yourself up for failure by demanding perfection. Set reasonable standards for yourself and others while learning to be okay with "good enough".

• Focus on the positive. When the stressful situation is upsetting you, take a moment to remember all the things that you appreciate in your life, including your own positive qualities and gifts. This simple strategy can help you keep things in perspective. It certainly has helped me.

These are only some ways on how to avoid stress. I hope my advice would prove useful. 

Stress Reduction Techniques

HW Guest Writer: Ellek Ringo

©Netalink (2011)

Related Products