Beating Stress By Sara Nalley

Stress Anyone? Family Work School Day-to-Day Life Stress is part of everyday life. I am a Wife, Mother, Employee, and Student. Stress is an everyday occurrence. When I think I have everything under control, life throws me a curve ball. Have you ever had days you would not be surprised if the rooms were padded? If so, you have experienced some form of stress.

Feel a little . . . Exhausted Irritable Frazzled? Stress can cause feelings of exhaustion, irritability, and being overwhelmed. Prolonged periods of stress can cause various mental and physical ailments. Some doctors recommend stress-reducing techniques to control minor aches and pains, headaches, depression, and problems sleeping. Frazzled?

Good news!! Stress is manageable!! There are many techniques and suggestions to managing stress levels. Take the time to find the techniques that fit into your daily schedule and work on managing your level of stress. Many of the suggestions help improve physical and mental health along with improving your attitude towards stress. By changing your attitude towards stress, you can be ready to take stressful situations head-on. Good news!! Stress is manageable!!

Breathe Write It Down Take A Break Prioritize Delegate 5 Quick ways to relax Breathe Write It Down Take A Break Prioritize Delegate There are numerous techniques for dealing with short- and long-term stress. I have named 5 quick ways to relieve stress that are easy to fit into your schedule. Breathe: Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and slowly let it out. Repeat if necessary. Breathing exercises are easy to learn. You can do them whenever you want, and you don't need any special tools or equipment to do them. Write it down: Write down what is bothering you this helps you find out what is causing your stress and how much stress you feel. After you know, you can find better ways to cope Take a break: Step away from the situation. Take your breaks away from your desk; i.e., take lunch away from your desk or take a bathroom break. Prioritize: Write down tasks and categorize them from most to least important. What needs to be down right away? Today? This week? This month? Delegate: Learn to trust your co-workers or family members. Can a co-worker or project member help get tasks accomplished? Can a spouse or child help get chores done?

Make it a habit A Positive Attitude Be Healthy Let Your Feelings Out Know Your Triggers Try not to let stress take control. Keep a positive attitude and learn to accept that there are events that you cannot control. Be assertive instead of aggressive. Assert your feelings, opinions, or beliefs instead of becoming angry, defensive, or passive. Eat a healthy, well-balanced meal. Get enough rest and sleep. Your body needs time to recover from stressful events. Find an exercise regimen that fits into your schedule. Regular exercise is one of the best ways to manage stress: Take a walk, try stairs instead of an elevator, even everyday activities such as housecleaning or yard work can reduce stress. Talk, laugh, cry, and express anger when you need to. Talking with friends, family, a counselor, or a member of the clergy about your feelings is a healthy way to relieve stress. Make your own list of stress trigger points or hot spots. Be specific. Knowing what causes you stress is powerful information, as you can take action to make it less stressful.

Enjoy Life Find A Hobby Hang Out Get Creative Read A Book When overcome with stress, it is easy to forget why we are trying so hard. Find a way to relax, enjoy life, and keep a fresh perspective. Take 30 minutes out of your schedule to socialize with loved ones or enjoy some me time.

Take a day off Clear Your Schedule Stay In Your Pajamas Enjoy The Outdoors Take A Small Vacation We are a 24/7 society. With the internet, social media, and cell phones, we are constantly “plugged-in.” Our schedules can quickly become hectic with work, family, friends, and other commitments. We spend most of our time burning the candle at both ends until we are burnt out. When your finished with a stressful project or your schedule feels to hectic, take a day off. Pretend the electricity went out, stay in your pajamas, and play board games with the family. Take a nature walk, go to the lake, barbeque with friends, or go to the park. There are many ways to enjoy a weekend that can be inexpensive. My family and I enjoy camping trips. Some people may enjoy going to a spa or a casino.

Stress will always find us, but we can control how it affects our lives. Stress can be positive if it keeps us alert, motivated, and ready to avoid danger. By changing our attitude, we can learn to accept stress as part of our lives. We can change our habits to manage how stress affects our health. Also, we can add activities into our lives that can help relieve stress. Don’t sweat it!!

Resources for Stress management Search the internet Speak to a professional Check-out your local library Talk to someone There is an abundance of resources that have information on stress management. By searching the internet, you will find many different web sites dedicated to relaxation techniques. Many people speak to a doctor or a counselor. At the library, you will find entire sections written on self-help or ways to relax. Is their someone that seems to be handling stress. Do not be afraid to ask for pointers.

Resources: Images from Google http://www.webmd.com http://www.mftrou.com