Managing Stress

Not all stress is bad, but when it starts to overwhelm us, there are steps you can take to avoid burnout.

Stress is often defined and referred to as the reaction of the body to sudden environmental changes. The truth is, stress is with us all the time. Whenever you feel frustrated, confused, tense, or feel that everything around you is out of your control, you experience stress. Even on vacation, people can feel stress or frustration that it’s a waste of time, or they’re not on the schedule they want.

Stress alone is not always bad. Good stress can get you through a test or motivate you to finish the pile of work you’ve accumulated. When bad stress overwhelms us it can lead to depression, heart disease, high blood pressure, headaches, ulcers, weakened immune system, and other serious conditions.

Learning to manage stress starts in the mind, by changing your attitude. When you believe that you’re in control of a difficult situation, you are. Avoid the simple things that you know will cause you stress, don’t shop with your mother if you know you’re just going to argue over what you should buy.

Sometimes beating stress is as simple as changing what you’re doing. Pull yourself away from the stressful situation and do something spontaneous and fun for a few minutes before going back to it. Don’t rush yourself into completing every task in front of you, prioritize what you have to do and do it in a reasonable amount of time, one task at a time.

Stress can be due to our environment, if your workspace is cluttered and you can’t find what you need, organize your space and see the difference.

Realize when you can’t control or handle a situation any longer. Don’t put yourself in the middle of a situation that is beyond your control; deal with what you can change.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help when feeling overwhelmed. Talk about what is causing your stress with others and analyze the situation from another point of view.

Lifestyle changes can affect the way you deal with stress also. Exercise regularly, eat healthy and sleep well. A healthy lifestyle will boost your energy, refresh your mind and make stress more manageable.

If daily stress is affecting your sleep and causing insomnia, there are several ways to manage stress by just taking a moment to relax. Aromatherapy or simple deep breathing exercises are easy, fast ways to relax.

Consider getting a massage or learn meditation. Relax yourself by stretching your muscles or consciously clearing your mind. Daydreaming is a nice little getaway from stressful situations or a muscle relaxation technique can relax and relieve tension.

Stress is an everyday part of our lives, not all stress is bad and some is almost required to function and get the job done. Learning to manage stress is a way to cope with it and keep it from disturbing our lives or health.

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