Stressed with all your workload lately? Or probably you’ve been worrying too much about every day, thinking of the tasks that need to be done, things that must be accomplished, and so on. Well, we can’t help it: stress seems to be a staple in many people’s lives these days. The only difference is that some are able to handle stress pretty well, while others struggle to cope with all the stress going on. While we may have varied coping mechanisms, here are some tips to effectively manage stress in your day-to-day life.
What are you so stressed about?
You won’t be able to effectively manage stress if you can’t identify its causes. Of course, this can be a bit difficult to know, considering that stress causes are not always noticeable or obvious. One helpful way to pinpoint the exact stress causes is to look at yourself more closely. Assess your attitudes on things, the habits you’re used to, and your usual excuses or reasons. Stress is not necessarily caused by outside factors; it may be stemming from how you handle things and tasks. It’s necessary to assess the true roots of stress based on how you manage your responsibilities and daily load.
How do you currently manage stress?
There are various ways people cope with stress, and some of those strategies can be unhealthy or productive. While this may be additional work on your end, it’s recommended to start a journal as part of your stress management plan. Keeping a journal can help you track your daily stressors and the strategies you used to cope with them, the feelings attached when you encountered the stress trigger, and the way you acted when faced with it.
Why is it important to do this?
This can help you assess the effectiveness of your stress coping mechanisms. When it comes to stress management, people usually go 2 ways – it’s either they go the unhealthy route, or settle for the productive one. Smoking and drinking, as well as overeating or not eating well, are some of the usual unhealthy ways of managing stress. There’s also the inability to manage emotions and anger, or even turning to drugs to reduce stress or forget about their problems for a while.
While these strategies can help reduce stress levels, the effects on your emotional and physical health can be damaging in the long run. This is why it’s essential to find productive ways to cope with stress. There is no single secret formula for all, as each of us has unique capabilities and strategies when coping with stress. The important thing to do is to able to divert your energy to more worthwhile things that can contribute to your personal development.
Below are some ways to avoid stress:
- If you have too much workload, maybe it’s because you are constantly covering for others, always hesitant to tell them “no”. The best way to reduce your workload? Learn the art of saying “no” and not taking on more than what you can really handle. This applies to both your personal and professional life.
- If you already know what or who’s stressing you out, learn how to avoid them by minimizing contact with them.
- Learn how to manage your to-do list. Analyze your list of responsibilities: What should be done today vs What must be done today?
- Keep your eye on the positive side. Always aim to see the positive side of things to help you keep things in their right perspectives.
- Share and express your emotions. Talk to someone instead of bottling up all your emotions inside. Seek help if necessary or just simply discuss your main issues with a close friend or family member.
- Make time to relax. Don’t focus all your time and energy on your daily stressors; instead, make room for relaxation and recreation to unwind and get a fresh perspective on things.
- Invest in the right nutrition and consider taking natural supplements like cheap vitamins online that can help manage stress levels effectively.
Photo credit: Giuseppe Savo via Flickr