While some people respond positively to pressure, problems arise when you start to have concerns about how you will cope.
So there are two elements to addressing stress: reducing the pressures on you and learning to manage them better.
There is no simple way to beat stress, but here are some tips to help you regain control of your life:
Recognise the problem
- The most important step is to recognise that the problem exists.
- Try to take a step back from your life to think about how you're feeling.
- If you don't have time to assess your symptoms or stress levels, you're probably stressed.
- Take a few moments to calm down
- You can learn to deal with the underlying causes of your stress, both the pressures in your life and the way you react to them. If your first thought is that you don't have time to stop and review things, take a few moments to calm down.
Identify and deal with the causes
Sometimes you will know intuitively what's making you stressed; other times it may seem like everything is going wrong and you are unable to identify the cause of your stress. Remember that stress is rarely caused by an event in itself, and more often by doubts about your ability to cope with that event. You need to be very honest with yourself and face up to issues that could cause some distress.
Take more control of your lifestyle
By making a change to your lifestyle you can assert control over your life and adjust the way you think about your situation. Small shifts can quickly free up creative energy and increase your options. Different things work for different people but the important thing is to take action of some kind and find out what works best for you. Unfortunately the more stressed, overwhelmed and exhausted we feel, the harder it is to be proactive. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Try listing everything that's bothering you and then work out which things you can control and which you can't. Ignore those you can't influence and work on practical solutions to the others.
- Take up a physical activity. It doesn't have to be 'exercise': a brisk, 20-minute walk daily will give you valuable breathing space.
- Muscular tension often parallels and exacerbates mental stress. Relaxing physically at the end of the day is important and sometimes hard to do.
- Try to avoid increasing your consumption of alcohol or caffeine. Although smoking may seem to help, it really doesn't.
- Do something that forces you to think actively about something else. Meet friends, cook a meal, do a Sudoku puzzle.
- Get a good night's sleep. Relax before you go to bed to avoid lying awake and worrying.
