No one’s life is free from stress. There are different stressors for everyone out there, but everyone feels stress from something. The important thing about stress is know and understand how to manage and control the stressful things in your life and to keep them from causing you mental and physical harm. Not dealing with or being in control of the stressors in your life can have serious unwanted mental and physical effects including anxiety, lowered immune responses, high blood pressure, depression and other health issues, but knowing how to cope with stress can alleviate these issues. Recognizing your stress is the first step to coping with it and reducing the overall amount of stress in your life.
Before you can begin to take action against your stress, you need to know what causes you this stress. Every person is affected differently by different situations and can be stressed by completely different things. Try and get to the root of your stresses. Generally, what may seem like a straightforward stressor, being in social situations for example, may stem from deeper feelings, like worry of inadequacy or self-doubt. Beginning a journal is a great way to explore the stressors in your life and really begin to understand the feelings that cause them. Once you’ve got a better understanding of what causes you stress, you can begin to find ways of Managing stress and anxiety that work for you.
Now that you’ve begun to discover things that cause you stress, you can begin to find ways to control or manage the stress. You’ve got to take action against you stressors; even a small, deliberate action can have profound effects. Consider this: the next time you begin to feel stressed, simply breathe deeply in through your nose, hold the breath for a few seconds, and then slowly exhale. Just slowing down your breathing and focusing on that act can help you regain your composure and deal with the stressor in front of you. Work on one stressor at a time, and brainstorm actions that you can take in order to reduce this stress. If you’re feeling overloaded at work for example, think of ways you can help yourself get organized. Make yourself a master task list and prioritize it according to importance. Maybe just seeing your desk covered in papers, your inbox flooded with emails, or your trash bin overflowing is causing your stress. Take a deep breath and decide what action you should take in order to alleviate the stress.
You’ll find that some things are out of your control. You simply cannot account for every scenario that you will find yourself in in life, but, with your new found techniques, you will begin to find these situations less stressful. Keeping up with a journal and keeping yourself organized can do wonders for your anxiety levels. Many people also find relief from stress by joining a group or an online community like Our Buddy System, where they can connect with and talk to others dealing with similar issues. Often times, feeling as though you are alone in your worries can be crippling. When you know there are others out there dealing with the same things, you can help one another grow and succeed. When you take a deep breath, have a plan, and take action, you can combat any stress you may face!
Managing stress and anxiety doesn’t have to be an uphill battle. By connecting with the community at Our Buddy System, you can talk with others dealing with the same issues as you and help one another succeed!