Stress will always be a part of our lives as long as we have busy careers and busy households. It would not probably just go away. The more we push and pull and try to manipulate our circumstances in the direction we want, the worse our anxiety, fears and stresses become.
There is nothing much we can do to reorganize our situations. We cannot eliminate challenges and competition at work or make our cities more safe and cheerful. In short, we cannot do anything about what happens to us.
But, we have options in terms of how to think and respond in the face of such overwhelming, stressful situations. That is the beauty of our brain; we can change our perception of what’s happening around us, how we see it and what we do to get along with it.
Stop Stressing – Start Living
No matter how powerless you may feel, you can still regain control over your lifestyle, thoughts, emotions, and the way you deal with problems. The key is to find out about your stress triggers and create lasting, positive habits that help you react in a resilient way.
It is just too easy to overlook your own thoughts, needs, feelings, and behaviors that directly add up to your stress levels. Sure, you may have professional commitments and deadlines but maybe it is just your procrastination, rather than the actual job demands, that is causing the stress in your life.
But for those moments where stress ‘catches’ us unaware, here are some effective strategies for busy people. Although these may seem simple, they are not always easy to implement especially when we need to do them!
Manage your time
Time management is one of the simplest solutions to most stress problems. Our busy work culture and mismanaged lifestyle can often cause us to miss important deadlines that cause stress. But simply by managing our time effectively can secure us the time we need for more of the things we want and need to do. Having extra time in hand would also bring us the power to decide which tasks are urgent and which can wait. Managing your time adequately can make your life easier, less stressful, and more meaningful.
Try Relaxing techniques like Meditation
Stress management is about avoiding the stressful situations whenever possible, changing your reaction towards stressful situations and taking care of yourself as much as you can.
Meditation does not take as much time as you may think. A few minutes of practice per day can help ease anxiety to a great extent. According to a study, daily meditation for few minutes can alter the brain’s neural pathway that makes you more resilient to stress.
Go out, spend some leisure time
A small vacation or a weekend out is one of the best tools for handling stress. Especially, when it is hard to manage the simplest of everyday life activities like cooking, laundry, cleaning, reaching work on time and meeting job deadlines.
Go out with friends, office colleagues or family. Spend time in recreational activities, adventure sports, fun or entertainment. Spend time doing what pleases you. Get a spa massage, watch a live concert of your favorite band, or even visit your childhood home. The key is to take a break from your mundane routine and experience freedom from job and household responsibilities.
Eat healthy
Stress levels and unhealthy diet are closely related. Whenever we are under pressure, short of time we often choose not to cook and eat healthy. We tend to save our cooking and eating time for work, while grab some unhealthy sugary, fatty snacks to stuff ourselves.
Try to avoid sugary snacks and plan your diet ahead of schedule. Take more fruits and vegetables and fish with high levels of omega-3 fatty acids to help you reduce the signs of stress. Apart from getting the nutrients, you would also feeling good about having healthy breakfast that keeps you energized throughout the day.
Accept things that you cannot change
There are certain things you cannot control in life. So taking stress for such unavoidable circumstances will only worsen your lifestyle and health. Like, the death of a loved one, a serious illness, or a national recession. In such situations, the best way to overcome stress is by accepting things as they are. It may be difficult initially, but in the long run, it proves to be easier than railing against a situation you can’t change.
Try to look at the situations as opportunities for personal growth. If the situation is a result of your own carelessness or ignorance, reflect on them and learn from your mistakes.Accept that we live in an imperfect free yourself from negative energy by forgiving yourself and moving on.