Tips For Learning How To Manage Stress More Effectively

Positive stress can add excitement and joy to life. We have certain amounts of stress that we thrive on. Competitions, deadlines, confrontations, and frustrations add a depth to our life. We don't need to cut out stress; we need to learn how to manage the stress we have more effectively. If we have too much stress, we can feel overwhelmed and not be able to do our best. An ideal solution would be to find a middle ground where we haven enough stress to motivate, but not enough to overwhelm us.

There isn't a set formula of how much stress you can handle in your life. We are different and one person's stress may rejuvenate them and keep them motivated. Another person with the same stress may feel overwhelmed and have a feeling of despair and hopelessness.

How can you manage stress? It is going to be as individual as each person. You should first decide what your stressors are and how they affect you. Pay attention to your stress. Find out what events are distressing you. Notice how you are responding to the stressful events, both physically and mentally. Do you feel sick, do you begin shaking, or have headaches?

Recognize those stressors that you can change. You won't be able to change or remove everything that stresses you. You may be able to do something to lessen the intensity, or reduce the effect it has on your body. Maybe you could take a break, walk away from the stressful situation and find a way to release the stress and tension in your body.

Your emotional response to stress may be curbed so you are not experiencing a heightened response to any sensed danger. You may be overreacting to events that are not as time critical as you think they may be. Change the way you think about your stress. Try thinking about it as something you can cope with and not something that will overwhelm you. Take a step back and put the entire situation into perspective. Think of something that is stressing you, then ask yourself "Is it really that important compared to the big picture of your life?"

Learn to recognize the physical symptoms of stress and work at keeping that reaction to a minimum. Taking slow, deep breaths will help lower your heart rate and bring your respiration to normal. You can learn to control muscle tension, heart rate, and blood pressure by using biofeedback.

You also need to build your physical reserves by exercising three to four times each week, eating a balanced, healthy diet, and maintain the weight that is consistent with your size. Avoid caffeine and alcohol, smoking, or other stimulants. Get the rest your body needs, be consistent with your sleeping and eating habits, and mix a little pleasure in with your work.

You also may build your emotional reserves by having a support team, and looking for ways to meet your individual goals. You can learn to manage stress and live a happier and healthier life.

Next article: Some Medications Can Cause Stress

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