How to Reduce Stress for Good

Stress, unfortunately, is a very real occurrence today.  Work, financial concerns, family, relationships, health and time management can all cause us stress.  Many people feel overwhelmed on a regular basis, wondering if they will ever find a more serene approach to life.  But there are ways that everyone can create a calmer, saner lifestyle, and many of these ways take very little time and energy once established.  Let's explore some techniques for quickly relieving stress when in crises-mode, and also some ways to keep your life from entering crisis-mode in the first place.

Crisis-Mode Calming Techniques

Breathe - Breathe in deeply enough that your tummy expands outward and you fill your lungs.  Hold for a second or two and release slowly.  Do this several times. Now, continue to breathe slowly and steadily while you're working through the problem at hand.  You should immediately feel a bit calmer.

Take stock of what's going on - Stop what you're doing for a moment and just take time to breathe and logically think through what's going on that is causing you stress.  What parts are under your control, what parts are not?  What needs to happen to get things to a better, calmer place?  What's important about this situation, and what isn't?  Where does this situation fall in the big picture?

Be aware of your body - How is this stressful situation effecting your body?  We often carry our stress in our shoulders and back.  Take time to see where you've tensed up and purposely relax that part of your body.

Go for a quick walk - If you can, go for a quick walk around the block or take a similar break where you remove yourself briefly from the stressful situation.

Have a snack that is high in protein or a drink of juice or vitamin water - Boost your body's ability to handle what's going on by giving it a little quick nourishment.

Long Term Stress Reducers

Healthy diet - One major thing you can do to ward off the effects of stress is to maintain a healthy diet.  Cut back on sugar, caffeine and high fat foods and maintain a balanced diet of proteins, whole grains, fruits and vegetables.  Be sure to include foods high in antioxidants.

Exercise - Regular exercise helps diminish stress and benefits us many ways.  Try to incorporate exercise into your daily routine.

Vitamins - Take a good multi-vitamin and also a good B-complex.

Calendar - Use your calendar to keep track of commitments and avoid over-committing yourself.

Budget - Keeping a budget is the biggest way to control financial stress.  Whether you have lots of money or a little, knowing what's coming in and how it's going out will help you feel in much better control financially and less stressed over money.

Clutter - Remove the clutter from your work area and your home.

Learn to say no - It is not necessary to say yes to every favor you're asked, to every task that's presented to you and to every party you're invited to.  You're life is busy, so it's necessary to pick and choose.  Learning this one skill will help you avoid over-committing and stressing yourself.

Posted:Monday, August 06, 2007