Stress is everyone’s problem. Unless you are the most laid back happy go lucky person on the planet, odds are you have experienced moments of stress and anxiety. Stress can manifest itself in physical as wells as psychological ways. Severe anxiety can cause symptoms similar to a heart attack. Both can be detrimental to your health and well being. Maybe you are one of those people who strive under stressful situations. If so, you are lucky. For most of us, stress can be annoying, frustrating and sometimes down right debilitating.
Overcoming stress and anxiety.
If stress and anxiety affects your life or if you find yourself often in stressful situations, here are 6 ways to deal with it.
1. Breath – It’s not necessary to be a full on yogi and put yourself in deep meditative states in order to avoid stress. Simply take a breath. Take a deep breath and then take more breaths. Sit down, closes your eyes and breath some more. When you have too much going on in your mind and to much going on around you, sometimes you need to take a minute to consciously breath, then you can release your self from the stress in any situation.
2. Workout – Stand up and walk in place. Walk around your office. Walk around the block and if you’re really feeling stressful and anxious, get in a good workout at the gym. When you engage in strenuous physical activities it can help relieve some of the pent up physical stress in your body. The physical exertion allows you to turn your mind off and just move. The harder you push, the easier it is to relieve the stress in your body. If you’re new to workout or want to be pushed harder, consider hiring a trainer and have them kick your butt in the gym for an hour and you will forget what you were stressed about.
3. Savor – Have a glass of wine. Go to your favorite restaurant and order your favorite meal and taste it. Listen to your favorite piece of music or watch a funny movie. Savor it. Spend an hour in the present and recognize what your senses are telling you at that moment. When your senses are engaged, your mind gets a chance to shut down and let your senses take over. Anything that heightens your senses is going to relieve stress.
4. Connect – Physically and mentally connect with people. Turn off the computer and phone and get together with close friends. Schedule a date with your significant start. Catch up, vent or just sit and listen. Do something you enjoy and get out of your own head for an afternoon. Helping someone else with their stress or spending time with people who don’t seem to stress can go a long way in depleting your own.
5. Talk – Seek out a friend who you trust and lay out your stresses and anxiety to them. Check to see if they have a different perspective on it. If you don’t have someone like that in your life, seek professional help. Sometimes you just need someone to talk to. If that person can offer specific and unbiased advice, they can give you tools to help eliminate your stress.
6. Attitude – We tend to stress over things that are unfamiliar or situations that are not going according to expectation. Dealing with the unexpected can cause stress and anxiety in the most together person. Instead of trying to change the situation, change your attitude about the situation. Accept that things aren’t going to go as planned. Realize and be proud of the fact you are the kind of person who can adjust and handle challenges.
Stress doesn’t have to rule your life. If you recognize stressful situation and use these tips to deal with them, you will be a happier and healthier person.
