stress management strategies for a calmer lifestyle
Stress is one way to silently kill your body, nervous system and mental health.
It doesn’t feel good to be in a constant state of stress and tension. It feels like you’re constantly in fight or flight mode, or you’re always worried or overthinking the next thing.
Temporary or short-term stress isn’t necessarily a bad thing, PsychCentral said.
But they said chronic stress can lead to several mental and physical health problems, including anxiety, depression and heart disease.
“While stress is a natural response to perceived danger, chronic stress can lead to physical and mental health complications and early death,” PsychCentral wrote.
Many people think stress only affects your mental health or quality of life, but it has a lot of negative physical effects on your bodily systems.
Stress can affect the musculoskeletal, respiratory, cardiovascular, endocrine, gastrointestinal, nervous, and reproductive systems, according to the American Psychological Association.
Those effects shouldn’t be taken lightly, and you should prioritize incorporating ways to relieve stress to live a healthier lifestyle.
strategies to manage stress
meditation and deep breathing
By closing your eyes, tuning in with your body and focusing on deep breathing, meditation can be one way to help you manage stress.
You can focus on certain words or phrases during your meditation session. You can also picture physically removing the things that are causing you stress from your body and mind. Picture them leaving your soul one by one.
Incorporate deep breathing at a pace that feels good to you. That may look like breathing in for 5-10 seconds, holding it in and releasing for the same amount of time.
It could look like following deep breathing commands from an app or YouTube video. You can also simply follow what feels natural and pleasant to your body and nervous system.
“The brains of people who meditate regularly tend to be healthier and less likely to show age-related loss of function,” Cleveland Clinic wrote. “They also have a stronger ability to deal with and process negative emotions like fear, anger and grief.”
use physical techniques
There are ways you can take some tension off your body and regulate your nervous system through different physical techniques.
One option is progressive muscle relaxation, which involves slowly tensing and relaxing one body part at a time. Try tensing and releasing your toes, then work your way up your body. Enjoy the process and dedicate some time to focus instead of rushing through it.
Another option is massage therapy. This is more of a financial investment, but it is so worth it if you’re able to spend money on it.
Massage therapists work on different areas of your body, but feel free to choose a service specializing in stress relief, or make sure to communicate that you need extra attention on certain high-tension areas you have.
Besides those choices, you can also experiment with going on long walks or other forms of exercising. Physical activity is known for relieving stress, so make sure to throw that into your routine to help manage symptoms.
talk about the stress
It can help to talk to others about what is causing you to be stressed. Whether it’s work, family, future, etc.-related, calling out the anxious thoughts and explaining them to someone else may help you relieve some of the pain.
Have you ever had a great venting session with your family, friends or coworkers that made you feel a little better about your situation at the end? It could even be a stranger that was kind enough to listen to you.
That feeling of getting something heavy off your chest and mind feels so good, no matter who you’re talking to.
By talking about what’s stressing you out, it can help get it out of your head, put the situation in a more realistic light and help you realize what is and isn’t worth stressing over.
It’s also nice to get feedback and advice from others on how you can let certain things go, or how you can deal with the situation.
Even if you don’t have anyone to talk to, you can speak it out loud or write it down. I used to make voice memos to vent about all my problems. No one would listen to them but me, but it felt so good getting it all out.
go off the grid for a while
The daily grind of work, paired with the pressures from social media and keeping up with societal pressures, can be a lot for anyone.
“Going off the grid” for a while can look like:
Doing a digital detoxor taking a break from social media
Spending more time in nature and away from your devices
Staying inside instead of committing to social activities
Planning a vacationor using some PTO to recharge
It can be nice to get away, whether that’s digitally or physically, when you’re stressed and feeling overwhelmed.
avoid certain people, substances or other triggers
Try to explore things or people in your life that could trigger your stress.
If someone is constantly putting pressure on you at work or at home, that person could be a trigger to your stress. If nights you sleep less hours leave you feeling a little distressed the next day, lack of sleep could be a potential trigger.
If you notice muscle tension or a racing heart that you think is related to stress, when you drink alcohol or use other substances, keep that in mind as a possible trigger.
Be mindful of your potential triggers, and determine if there are ways you can limit them, such as adjusting your sleep or responsibilities. Or maybe it looks like limiting interactions with certain people.
It’s nice when you’re able to identify what makes you feel stressed. But that’s not always the case. Sometimes you feel stressed overall without being able to point to a certain person, task, lifestyle choice, etc.
seek a therapist for other strategies
There are instances where you really can’t seem to shake the stress, no matter how hard you try. It’s not worth it to silently battle chronic stress if you have the option to seek additional help.
Therapists can help you explore methods to change patterns of thinking, ways to incorporate cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), coping skills for repetitive and future stressors, etc.
I know going to therapy isn’t the most sexy, or affordable, thing for many people. And it’s definitely a privilege if you’re able to go.
And there are other options that are more affordable, such as group therapy, university or graduate school discounted counseling sessions and community therapy options with sliding scales.
