Any kind of change that puts physical, mental, or psychological strain on a person is considered as Stress. It is a feeling of physical or emotional tension. Everyone goes through periods of stress. However, how you handle stress has a significant impact on your general wellbeing.
Finding the roots of your stress is the first step in managing it. Identifying the causes of persistent stress can be more challenging than identifying big stressors like job changes, relocation, health issue, family issue, fear of rejection etc. Even while you may be aware that you worry about work deadlines frequently, the stress may be coming from your procrastination rather than the demands of your job.
“ Its not stress that kill us, it is our reaction to it.” – Hans Selye
Following are the techniques to reduce stress level in day to day life –
Deep Breathing: The most fundamental relaxation technique is to calm yourself by breathing slowly and rhythmically from your abdomen. Your breathing usually becomes shallow and rapid when you’re anxious or agitated. At a physiological level, you tend to relax when your breathing is slow and deep.
Visualization : Using your imagination to relax is a very effective technique. You are free to focus by being taken to a relaxing sitting. By staying calm and focused without judgment, you can soothe and quiet yourself.
“ There is more to life than increasing its speed.” – Mahatma Gandhi
Meditation: Meditation is a true technique for calming the body and mind. By concentrating on your breathing, a few repeated words, a single repeating activity, or the flickering light from a candle, meditation can help you become more aware of the present moment. It can heal your body to next level.
Physical Exercise: Regular physical exercise can improve your mood, feel you relax and lower symptoms of depression and stress. Exercise also improve quality sleep. Daily 30-45 minutes of moderate aerobic activity like- brisk walking, jogging, bicycling, swimming etc. can make you stress free.
Eating Balance diet: Maintaining a balanced and healthy diet is key to helping our bodies to manage the physiological changes caused by stress. Green leafy vegetables, fresh fruits like orange, banana, avocados, grapefruit, strawberries, omega-3 fatty acids riched fish, black tea, almonds are some of the foods which have an effect of reducing stress level.
Self-Sympathy: It is the method for accomplishing prosperity and unwinding through answering yourself with consideration and understanding when you battle with deep-seated insecurities, shame, and other pessimistic sentiments. Self-empathy decreases the negative feelings. This approach utilizes reflection and positive assertions.
“ You can’t always control what goes on outside, but you can always control what goes on inside.” – Wayne Dyer.
Reducing Perfectionism: When you set unachievable objectives and fall short of them, you could experience guilt, worry, disappointment, and a decline in self-esteem. Quite often, you may create a new, improbable goal in the hopes that accomplishing it will erase the first one’s sense of failure. The result is typically more failure. To enhance self-awareness and find inner peace, perfectionism must be reduced and healthy striving must be replaced.
Make time for fun and relaxation: Take out time from your hefty schedule, meet some good friends, relatives or any person you like, spent quality time with them, have fun at fullest. Don’t get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that you forget to take care of your own happiness. Consider this as a necessity, not a luxury. If you regularly make time for fun and relaxation, you’ll be in a better place to handle life’s stress.
“ If you ask what is the single most important key to longevity, I would have to say it is avoiding worry, stress and tension. And if you didn’t ask me, I’d still have to say it.” – George Burns
