Our lives in the modern world are filled with stressors. We can’t avoid them all. However, too much stress can affect our relationships, our working ability, and even our health. It’s in our best interest to reduce stress in our lives as much as possible. These tips can help with that process.
Everyone needs positive thoughts in their life. Create your own by coming up with a positive, short phrase called an affirmation that you can use daily. By repeating this affirmation you can quiet your self-critical voice that adds to your stress. Any affirmation that can make you feel more able to cope with stress is worth using, whether you are telling yourself that you are capable, or commanding yourself to be calm.
Use your sense of smell to be stress-free. Smelling soothing things, such as peppermint, rose, thyme, lavender, bay leaves, and eucalyptus, will relax you. Put some rock salt and a few drops of your favorite oil, and place it in a small vial. If you begin to feel stressed, simply open your vial and smell the contents for a quick aromatherapy treatment.
Professional Massage
If you find your muscles are tense from stress, an excellent choice for unwinding would be a professional massage. Persistent muscle tension is literally the physical embodiment of the stress you’re carrying. Scheduling a professional massage can work your muscles back into comfortable shape.
Some people turn to alcohol or other drugs when they are stressed out. Obviously substance abuse is a very poor option to take, and rarely, if ever valid. Of course, drugs and alcohol will not do anything to help the way you feel. Indeed, they are more likely to complicate your life even further than they are to solve your stress problems.
If you have unhealthy ways of coping with stress, make it a point to replace those ways with more effective, healthier habits. As an example, if overeating is your typical reaction to stressful situations, try taking a walk instead. If you find better techniques to deal with your stress, your mind and body will be able to maintain their integrity, which makes it easier to cope with the stress you experience.
Get some spearmint oil to reduce your stress. When you feel the stress start to take over, dab a little bit of the oil onto your temples and your neck. Doing small things such as this can provide a great deal of improvement in your overall mood, so give it a chance!
You can document each joke or other funny event into this journal. This will be fun, and you can focus on them if you write them down.
One way to discourage stressful situations is to constantly be prepared for things to go wrong. You should have backup babysitters or extra keys stowed away for emergencies. Just some basic planning ahead can save those emergency situations from causing stress.
Feel Stressed
Take slow, deep, controlled breaths whenever you feel stressed. You have probably noticed that you breathe in a shallow way when you feel stressed, so it is important to learn to breathe in the proper manner. This is an excellent way to relieve stress, so therefore, it should be done daily to ensure your stress levels don’t get too high.
To ease stress, consider the things that are important you. Think about the things that really matter. Knowing which things are truly important to you will help you keep stressful situations in perspective and live a happier, less troubled life.
Practice saying no if you feel overwhelmed most of the time. Helping other people is important and fulfilling, but if you spend too much time on other people you do not leave time for yourself.
Visualization techniques can also help you to reduce stress levels. Studies have been done that suggest that using imagery of visual calm is highly effective in stress reduction. You may imagine relaxing on a sunny beach or soaking in a warm bath, picturing your stress melting away in the sun or evaporating in the steam. Simply closing your eyes and imagining you are in a calm place should be effective in reducing stress, even if you only do it for a few seconds.
Smiling can improve your entire mood, stress-alleviation included. Usually people smile when they are happy, but you can feel that way by smiling. So give smiling a try and see what a difference it makes in the way you feel. Smiling in the midst of a stressful period can really help you relax and unwind.
Making sure that you plan ahead is a great way to reduce your stress. For example, if you notice your car is getting low on gas, stop at the next gas station instead of continuing to drive until your fuel is on empty.
You just can not function correctly when you do not get enough sleep. Thinking becomes harder and you’ll cause disruptions in your stress management efforts. To remain alert all day long and permit your body to work optimally, you should get sufficient sleep.
Olfactory Senses
Many people have turned to aromatherapy, an alternative medicine using volatile plant materials, to cut back on daily stress. Your olfactory senses are extremely strong. Scents that are soothing, such as chamomile and lavender, are sent by the olfactory senses to the brain, which relaxes your brain waves. Scented candles are a great way to get those wonderful fragrances.
Create plans. By giving yourself something to look forward to, you can stop focusing on the stress you feel at any given moment. Plan to go to a movie, concert or some other show, for example.
As previously mentioned, excesses amounts of stress can negativity affect every aspect of our lives. You need to do whatever you can to reduce the stress in your life. Hopefully, the advice in this article has you better prepared to manage unhealthy and interfering stress, and lead a happier life with greater peace of mind.
