Stress management is crucial as stress is the ultimate killer. Sometimes, it seems that there is no escaping stress. The bills are endless. Time is not sufficient to finish all the work. You have to keep juggling family and work responsibilities. The demands from every sphere of your life keep increasing. Sometimes you feel like ground giving way right under your feet.
But, you are a lot stronger than you realize. A little bit of self-control is all it takes to beat the stress. This is a simple realization. This is the basic foundation for stress management. All you need to do is take charge of your life.
The most important aspects to consider when it comes to stress management are your lifestyle, emotions and how you encounter and deal with problems that come your way. There are tested and proven methods to deal with such problems, although it may seem impossible at first.
Stress management: Importance?
Living in such a condition can put your entire life at risk. It can destroy your emotional balance. And, it can affect your physical health too.
The first step is to break the hold that stress has on your physical and emotional well-being. It is important to break this hold. Thus, the goal of reaching a well-balanced life can be achieved.
If timely intervention is not made, this can lead to the destruction of relationships, loss of employment and tragically, loss of life.
The question is how to build resilience in the face of so many challenges. One answer may not work for everybody. It is vital that anybody should test and find out what works best for them.
Following tips many help in stress management:
Isolate sources of stress
First and foremost, identify which sources are creating stress in your life. This may not be as apparent as you think it is. Pinpointing the problem to the exact cause take a lot of soul-searching. There are some causes that are quite obvious. Moving houses, starting a new job, going through a divorce and custody battle are straightforward sources. In some instances, it is your own way of doing things that can contribute to stress.
To effectively identify the correct sources of stress, ask yourself the following series of questions.:
Do you explain to people that the situation is temporary?
Have you resigned to yourself that the stress has become routine, that it is part of your life now?
Are you the type of people who always blame others whatever is going on in your life?
Do you blame stress on other people or events?
Or, do you view your stress as normal and unexceptional?
Until and unless you try to be responsible in the face of increasing stress, you will not effectively control your stress.
Stress journal
A journal is the best method to understand the causes that are regularly adding stress into your life. When you identify the causes, you can spot the triggers. Then, this can lead to effectively dealing with the causes without giving into them. Each time when you feel stressed, you can put a note in your journal. This daily log can help you figure out the patterns. And then you can identify common themes.
You should write down the following:
What made you feel stressed?
How it made you feel – it can be either physical or an emotional, or both
How you reacted to the feeling
What did you do to feel better?
Practice four A’s
Stress is a reflex and instinctive response. But, sometimes, stressors can occur at regular periods. For example, a family gathering, or the daily commute, or even a routine meeting with your boss. After identifying these situations as stressors, you can be better prepared to face such situations. If you are unable to figure out how to prepare yourself, then the four A’s – avoid, alter, adapt, accept – can help you out.
Avoid: Completely avoiding a stressful situation is not entirely healthy. Any stressful situation must be addressed. But, a surprising number of stressors in your life can be eliminated with timely intervention.
Alter: Alter a situation to your advantage. If something in your life is making you stressed, then try changing it. Repeat this until you get rid of all the stressors in your life.
Adapt: This is easier said than done. But, if you compromise, it can make a big difference in your life. A human being can easily adapt to a situation.
Accept: Accept who you are. Be at peace with yourself.