A healthy mind: tips for stress-free days
It may seem as if you can't do anything about your stress- bills still have to be paid, there aren't enough hours in the day to do what you need to do, and family responsibilities will always need to be taken care of. However, you have more control over your stress level than you think- in fact, realizing that you control your life is the beginning of effectively managing stress.
Managing stress is about taking charge of your environment, your schedule, and the way you deal with adversity. The goal is for you to have balance in your life, with time for fun, work, relationships and relaxation, along with the ability to hold up under stress. The process begins with identifying your stress triggers, which can be difficult. They aren't always obvious, and sometimes they are overlooked. To find out what causes your stress, look at your attitude, habits and outlook on life.
- Do you always brush off your stress as being temporary, even though you can't remember when you last took a break?
- Do you consider stress as a part of your life, or as a facet of your personality?
- Do you blame all your stress on others or on events in your life?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you won't be able to control your stress until you accept that you have a role in its creation or maintenance. Think about how you manage stress now- are your strategies helpful or not? Unfortunately, many of us cope with stress in ways that exacerbate the situation. Smoking, drinking, eating too much or not enough, using drugs, sleeping too much, willful procrastination, and taking your stress out on others all offer a quick fix, but in the long term, these strategies cause more harm than good.
If your coping mechanisms don't add to your physical and emotional well being, it's time to find new ones. There are a variety of healthy ways to deal with stress, but all require a bit of change. Since everyone's stress response is different, there's no one method that works for everyone.