April is designated as National Stress Awareness Month and a month where we can all benefit from learning stress relief tips that can help us to relax and learn to remain calm in our everyday lives and the trials and tribulations that we all face. The bills won't stop coming, there will still only be 24 hours in a day, and the every day responsibilities of family and work will remain demanding. This is where it becomes so important to realize that we have a lot more control over our levels of stress than we think.
Managing stress is all about taking charge: taking charge of your thoughts, your emotions, your schedule, your environment, and the way you deal with problems. The ultimate goal is a balanced life, with time for work, relationships, relaxation, and fun – plus the resilience to hold up under pressure and meet challenges head on.1
- Look at attitude, habits and excuses
- Do you explain stress as "temporary?"
- "I just have a million things going on right now..."
- Do you consider stress a part of your work or home life or part of your personality?
- "Things are always crazy around here"or "I just have a lot of nervous energy, that's all."
- Do you blame your stress on other people or outside events?
Look at how you currently cope with stress
- Unhealthy
- smoking, drinking too much, over/undereating, watching TV for hours, sleeping too much, procrastinating, filling up every minute of your day to avoid facing problems, taking your stress out on others (lashing out, etc.)
- Healthy
- going for a walk or going to the gym, treating yourself to a massage/manicure/pedicure, trying a new recipe, cooking a healthy dinner for the whole family, reading a book outside, cleaning your house, lighting a candle, turning off your electronics, taking a yoga class.
- Avoid Unnecessary Sress
- Learn to say NO! - know your limits and stick to them!
- Avoid people who stress you out
- Take control of your environment - if the evening news stresses you out, turn it off. If grocery shopping makes your tense, do your grocery shopping online.
- Avoid "hot-button" topics - if you repeatedly argue over the same subject with people, stop bringing it up or excuse yourself from the conversation
- Pare down your to-do list - analyze your schedule, responsibilities and daily tasks. Distinguish between the "shoulds" and "musts"
- Alter the Situation
- Express your feelings instead of bottling them up
- Be willing to compromise
- Be more assertive
- Manage your time better
- Adapt to the Stressor
- Reframe problems - try viewing your stressors with a more positive perspective - if traffic is stressing you out, think of it as a time to regroup and listen to your new favorite songs
- Look at the big picture - will the stressor matter that much in a month? Is it as big of a deal as you think it is in the heat of the moment?
- Adjust your standards - Demanding perfection is the best way to set yourself up for failure. Learn to be ok with "good enough"
- Focus on the positive! - take a moment to reflect on all the things you can appreciate in life including your own gifts and positive qualities.
- Accept the Things You Can't Change
- Don't try to control the uncontrollable
- Look for the upside
- Share your feelings
- Learn to forgive
- Make Time for Fun and Relaxation
- Set aside relaxation time
- Connect with others
- Do something you enjoy every day
- Keep your sense of humor
- Adopt a Healthy Lifestyle
- Exercise regularly
- Eat a healthy diet
- Reduce caffeine and sugar
- Avoid alcohol, cigarettes and drugs
- Get enough sleep
Other Stress Relief Tips
- Start a stress journal
- Drink a cup of black tea before tackling 2 stressful tasks
- Acupressure - massage the fleshy area between your thumb and index finger for 20-30 seconds
- Treat yourself - Flavonoids in cocoa relax your body's blood vessels so that arteries can dilate, reducing blood pressure - look for 72% or more dark chocolate and treat yourself to one serving.
- Take a You-Tube timeout - just the anticipation of laughing significantly decreases levels of stress hormones.
What do you do to help relieve stress?
