Instant Tips to Relieve Stress

Stress is a normal part of nearly everyone’s life, from high school students worried about tests and dating to young professionals starting out in the job market to baby boomers and grandparents worried about health care, retirement, and employment. And whether your stress manifests itself in the form of panic attacks, chronic anxiety, headaches, loss of sleep, or just general irritation, losing control of your ability to think clearly and rationally can greatly impact your health and your relationships. Long-term effects of stress may include built-up tension in your body, overeating which can lead to high levels of cholesterol and obesity, sleep disorders, depression, indigestion, anger issues, and other conditions. To prevent developing such health issues, you need to actively monitor your stress levels day by day.

First, identify what major problems are causing you stress: unhappiness at work, in a relationship, planning for an upcoming trip, or perhaps finding care for a parent or other relative. You won’t be able to solve these problems right away, but mapping out a general plan will help you feel better organized and more optimistic about tackling the issue, feelings which help you regain control and can greatly reduce your stress levels. Every time you start to feel stressed or anxious about that problem, take a look at your to-do list, journal, or plan to transition your mind from feeling frustrated to thinking rationally.

For smaller situations that can still result in panic attacks or long-term stress, try to close your eyes and breathe deeply for even 2-3 minutes. Remove yourself from the situation and think of a place, person or quote that makes you feel in control and relaxed. Other simple exercises to try:

• Immediately put things in perspective: How serious is the problem in the long-term? Will you still be thinking about it in a few hours, a few weeks or a few months? Gauge your reaction accordingly.
• Go for a walk: A regular exercise routine will help you lower stress in the long-term, but a short, brisk walk can cool you down for the moment, too.
• Stretch: Close your eyes and do head rolls, moving your shoulders up and down, too, to relieve tension.
• Clean up: Clutter can spike stress levels, and doing a quick clean-up is an instant fix to feeling overwhelmed.
• Cross something off your to-do list or calendar: If you’re seriously stressed because of taking on too many commitments, find a little personal time by crossing off a task or appointment that you can easily, reasonably delegate to someone else.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009 at 10:03 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.