Make your stress feel stressed out to be a part of your Being

Let stress be stressed out, not you !

Stress may seem to be a never-ending phase and something that can’t be avoided looking at the hectic lifestyles and pressure due to ever demanding responsibilities at work and home. Till the time you are working, work pressure will always be there - sometimes low or maybe sometimes high. Family’s expectations from you will always be there - your parents, kids, your partner, your relatives, everyone will have some or the other expectations from you. Though, not to deny the fact that you too will have a certain set of expectations from each of them. But the point here is that failure to deliver on the expectations that others have and un-fulfillment of your expectations is sure to create a discomfort leading to stress.

Though these situations might appear to be out of control, believe me you have a lot more control than you might think. Just a realization of the fact that you’re in control of your life creates the foundation for managing stress. Stress management is all about taking a complete charge of your lifestyle, your thoughts, your emotions, and the way you deal with problematic situations.

At many times, situations might seem to slip away from control, not happening as per your expectations, unknowingly leading to anxiety. You can take a few steps to relieve the anxiety and regain control. But the fact is that one size doesn’t fit all; a trick that works for one might be ineffective for another. It becomes all the more important to test and figure out what works best for you as an individual. Hereby sharing some stress management tips to help you control stress.

1.    An acceptance to imperfection

Nothing in the world can ever be perfect. What you may consider being perfect might not be perfect for some other person and vice versa. Try to give in your best to everything but just stop looking for perfection in everything and accept the things, situations & relationships as they are. Once you start accepting the imperfection, half the stress is automatically gone.

2.    Taking things in control

A problem that seems impossible to solve at the face of it, is bound to lead to stress. The key here is to try finding the best possible solution instead of just hovering around with the problem. This will make you feel more in control of the situation thereby lowering the stress level. Using the most common and simple problem-solving technique that involves writing down the problem and listing as many possible solutions as you can, can work in this case. With each solution, write down the pros and cons of each and then select the best one that YOU feel can bring the best results.

3.    Learn to Say ‘No’

A common cause of stress is having too much to do in a very little time and sometimes with limited resources too.  Many people will still agree to take on additional responsibility in such situation.  Learning to say “No” to additional tasks will help to keep your stress at a normal level and will also help you develop more self-confidence.

To be able to say “No”, first you need to understand why you find it difficult. Some people find it hard to say “No” because they genuinely want to help others and are trying to be nice. While others feel reluctant to respond to a request with a straight “No”, for a fear of conflict, rejection or missed opportunities. But most importantly, you need to judge whether agreeing to a certain task is worth it or is it really straining you beyond limits.

4.    Implement Relaxation Techniques

Try to relax with simple, tried and tested stress reduction techniques. When feeling stressed, take a short break, and spend some time alone, think of people or things that make you happy, think of happy times and you will feel charged. Another way could be just close your eyes and breathe deep, trying to drift away from all sort of stressing thoughts. There are many such simple techniques that will make you feel rejuvenated.

5.    Share your feelings with someone you can trust

Sometimes, just talking to someone about your feelings can be helpful. Discussing your situation & related stress with someone can help release some of the built-up tension. Also, it might be possible to get some solution that probably you couldn’t have thought being too much into the issue. Though you need to be really careful about who do you chose to be your talking buddy. This person has to be someone really trustworthy.

6.    Get Enough Sleep & Rest

Catching up on a sound sleep can be one of the best methods to relieve stress. A lack of sleep is a significant cause of stress, though unfortunately, stress also disturbs our sleep as thoughts keep whirling through our heads, preventing us from relaxing enough to fall asleep.

Try to maximize your relaxation before going to bed using various relaxation techniques. Stop doing any mentally demanding work at least few hours before going to bed so that you give your brain some time to calm down. Take a warm bath or read a calming, undemanding book for a few minutes to relax your body, tire your eyes and to help you forget about the things that stress you. Also, don’t exert yourself beyond the limit, rest if you must.

7.    Indulge in Physical Activity

Stressful situations increase the level of stress hormones in our body, such as adrenaline and cortisol. These are the “fight or flight” hormones that are designed to protect us from immediate bodily harm when we are under threat.  However, continued stress in the modern age is rarely cured by a fight or flight response, and hence physical exercise can be used as an alternate to metabolize the excessive stress hormones and restore your body and mind to a calmer, more relaxed state. When feeling stressed and tensed, go for a brisk walk in fresh air.  Incorporate some physical activity into your daily routine, not just to help you keep fit but will also make you feel relaxed.

8.    Manage Your Time

Manage your time well by prioritizing your tasks. Maintain a daily or weekly list of things that you need to do and list them in order of genuine priority. Segregate tasks that you need to do personally and what can be delegated to others. An Initially overwhelming and unmanageable task list, can be broken down into a series of smaller, more manageable tasks spread out over

a longer time frame, with some tasks removed from the list entirely through delegation. Most importantly, include time for your own relaxation and well-being.