the three step approach to how to manage stress
Friday, February 29th, 2008Do you know how to manage stress? You should know because uncontrolled stress can damage your physical and mental well being. There are many great ways to help you put stress in control. Sometimes though following stress reduction techniques blindly may not work at all. You need to follow some steps if you want to beat stress effectively.
Step 1: Assess the Cause of Stress
Stress is just like a difficult problem or medical condition. To be able to effectively resolve the problem, you need to be able to go deep into the root cause. It is only after you find out what keeps you stressed out that you can find the right techniques to use. This may be easier than you think. You just have to look into the professional and personal factors of your life. It’s tempting to think that work may be the cause of all your worries. You have to admit though that certain personal relationships and situations may also be taking a toll on you.
Step 2: Move Away or Deal with It
You would have found the answer to how to manage stress if you find out whether to fight or fly. This means that after finding out the cause of stress, you need to determine if it is something you can confront or abandon. Naturally, many stress reduction techniques work on the fight or confrontation principle. This only makes sense because it wouldn’t be good if you had to run away from every issue you encounter. You should remember however that certain aspects that are beyond saving should really be abandoned. This includes toxic relationships that don’t work no matter how hard you try to salvage them.
If you cannot move away from the source of your stress, then you have to deal with it. These can be anything from your daily family life to your work duties. Instead of running away from them, you simply have to use some stress management techniques. You can use deep breathing and mental imagery to calm yourself even at the height of stress. These are examples of basic relaxation techniques that are easy to learn and use. You can also schedule monthly or yearly work leaves so you can go out on a relaxing trip.
Step 3: Use Daily Techniques
Regular relaxation classes and breaks are great stress busters. It is however, an even better idea to include daily habits and practices that can moderate stress on a daily basis. After all, stress, for a lot of people, is a daily reality.
One example of a good daily habit that you shouldn’t miss is eating healthy food. Add regular exercise and good nights’ sleep to the formula and you have a guaranteed stress buster. These good habits will ensure that you have sufficient nutrients in your body and that you are sufficiently rested. Another good habit is to put breaks in between your daily tasks. Take brief time outs to have a refreshing health drink or meal. Sometimes, talking to someone during break time can also make a difference.
There is really no mystery behind how to manage stress. Sometimes all you really need is a basic and common sense approach.
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