“Stressed-Out? The Ultimate Guide to managing stress better.”
The fast-paced life of a man has filled with stressors. The stress of taking a test, the stress of losing a job, a loved one. The list is endless! With our environments full of stressors one must learn how to cope with and manage stress to not be crippled in its face. Described below are various practices backed by research for combatting stress and living a healthier life.
1. Pinpoint where the stress arises from?
Primarily, one must diagnose what the source of
their stress is. External factors such as losing employment or the arrival of a
pandemic can be major causes. Internal factors such as our thought patterns,
feelings, and the way we behave could result in stress as well. Stressed out
about deadlines but still not doing the work and procrastinating may lead to
higher stress levels.
2.
The four A’s to your rescue
The four A’s can help in avoiding unnecessary stress.
1. AVOIDANCE:
Evade any stress that can be prevented. This could include learning how to say “no” in situations where you might feel pressured or avoiding a person who is a source of stress.
2. ALTERATION:
If the circumstance cannot be prevented change the way you react or communicate assertively to it instead. For instance, it's exam season and you’re chatty roommate doesn’t stop talking, causing you to have increased stress and frustration, assertively ask them to stop politely.
3. ADAPTION:
If changing the stressor does not help, adapt to the stressful situation. This can be done by embracing yourself for what’s to come and changing your attitude towards the problem stressing you out. By changing one's perspective of the circumstance, looking at the end goal, and maintaining your standards one can achieve this.
4. ACCEPTANCE:
In instances where the situation cannot be controlled let go and accept
the situation as it is. For instance the arrival of a pandemic. Accept that the
pandemic has occurred. Focus on things you can control instead of stressing
over what you can’t. Reframe your perspective and try to make the best of it.
3.
Maintain a healthy lifestyle and
exercise
A few tweaks in your routine such as exercising, maintaining a sleep routine, and a healthy diet can be a source of relief from stress.
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EXERCISE:
Adding exercise to your daily routine can greatly help with sleep and elevate one's mood. It does by the release of endorphins and endocannabinoids that relieve pain and result in better sleep. Research also states that people who exercise are less likely to feel anxious.
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DIET:
Focus on the diet can help strengthen one's immune system, lower blood pressure and maintain one's mood. While junk food and increased sugar consumption can have adverse effects.
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SLEEP:
Sleep can be affected by stress and possibly lead to insomnia and mess up one routine. Adopting better sleep habits such as exercising, getting adequate sunlight, decreasing alcohol or caffeine consumption, maintaining a fixed sleep schedule, practicing meditation before bedtime, and not using electronics an hour or so before sleeping can lead to better sleep.
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CONNECT WITH LOVED ONES
Socializing and connecting with loved ones releases hormones that help in fighting against the “flight and fright” response of the human body lowering stress levels.
4. Evidence-based techniques used by Clinicians
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PMR:
Progressive Muscle Relaxation involves contracting and relaxing different muscle groups such as legs, knuckles, arms, facial muscles, etc. This is done by contracting the specified muscle group for approximately ten seconds and then relaxing it for twenty seconds then going on to the next muscle group.
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RELAXATION RESPONSE:
This procedure involves about ten to twenty minutes of repeating a thought, prayer, sound, or movement to attain concertation and focus and going back to this repeating in case thoughts intrude. This can gravely improve symptoms in heart patients
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GUIDED IMAGERY:
This method involves the use of an audio script that has been prerecorded or narrated by professionals to bring an individual to a place where they feel relaxed, content, or safe by the use of the five senses and personalized imagery.
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CBT:
In Cognitive Behavioral therapy, the patient restructures thought patterns that might lead to harmful emotions and behaviors; countering one cognitive distortion and replacing them with fact-based rational beliefs that are beneficial to the patient. This can be used to treat diverse mind-related disorders including anxiety, depression, etc as well.
◊ EFT:
This involves pressing on
9 points of acupuncture and voicing out a meaningful phrase. Adjusting the
strength of the emotional or physical pain gives the clinician a way to measure
the patient's progress. This helps to greatly decrease the effects of memories
that cause emotional distress in an individual and can help in relieving stress
symptoms.
CONCLUSION
With
the adoption of the above-mentioned tweaks, you can learn how to tackle stress in
your life in a healthy manner. In case it interferes with your lifestyle do not
hesitate to seek out professional help.
