Practical Methods to Combat Stress

By Jacob Ryalt


Eliminate depression by removing as much stress from your life as possible.

Here's some useful methods to combat stress:

- Work Out Strive and get some habitual exercise such as brisk walking, swimming or whatever appeals to you. Play a sport you're interested in. Aerobic exercises can considerably reduce the stress factor. Work out also improves sleep and gives you time to think and focus on other things. It also promotes the release of natural soothing chemicals in your body. Do not result to excessive exercise, however, as this may have an adverse effect and might cause more depression.

- Search for A Support Group. You'll be able to manage stress much better if you have other people helping and supporting you. Did you know that married people and people who are outgoing, have much lower stress levels?

- Take Control Over Your Time and Schedule. You'll be much more able to deal with stress if you have a good handle on your job, relationships, and other activities. When you are in control, you are more inclined to stay focused and calm. Plan your time wisely.

- Express Amusement And Be Happy. Laugh hard and loud. If you don't have a sense of humor, find someone else who has. Laughter releases endorphins (happy chemicals) from the body, and it helps boost your immune system.

Communicate clearly with your boss and co-workers. Ask questions. Clarify instructions at the start of a project, so you don't have to spend time later fixing misunderstandings. Be honest in your dealings with others. Lying and cheating leads to stress.

- Work Out Strive and get some habitual exercise such as brisk walking, swimming or whatever appeals to you. Play a sport you're interested in. Aerobic exercises can considerably reduce the stress factor. Work out also improves sleep and gives you time to think and focus on other things. It also promotes the release of natural soothing chemicals in your body. Do not result to excessive exercise, however, as this may have an adverse effect and might cause more depression.

Be adaptable in rearranging your agenda. Get up 15 minutes early in the morning. Allow an extra 15 minutes to get to all appointments. Avoid procrastinating on important or urgent tasks. Whatever needs doing, do it immediately. Keep an appointment or record book. Don't just rely on your memory.

Do your tasks one thing at a time at a time. Focus your attention on the present moment, whether it's the person talking to you or the job at hand. Be patient in waiting. Anxiety caused by impatience can rise up your blood pressure. Say "no" to requests that you cannot accomplish. Crack a job into separate tasks and assign them to people with the suitable skills.

Communicate clearly with your co-workers and boss. Reiterate instructions that you are given. Clarifying directions at the start of a project can save lots of time later rectifying out misunderstandings. Be honest in your dealings with others. Lying and cheating only makes things worse.

- Consume Healthy Foods at the Appropriate Time. Never skip meals, especially breakfast. Get time out to eat heartily no matter how busy you are. Take nutritious snacks to the office, or even the shopping mall. A nutritionally balanced diet is essential to your health and lifestyle. For example, researchers have found that even small deficiencies of thiamin, a B-complex vitamin, can cause anxiety symptoms. Pantothenic acid, another B-complex vitamin, is critical during times of stress. Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and large amounts of sweets, which can worsen symptoms of stress.

- Take Breaths Deeply and Slowly. Calm down your muscles, escalating your stomach and chest. Exhale slowly. Do it again several times. Follow your breath as it flows in and out. Do not try to have power over it. This practice allows you to find a breathing pattern that is natural and relaxing to you. Make use of this yoga technique: Inhale slowly, counting to eight. Exhale through your mouth, even more slowly, counting to sixteen. Make a sighing sound as you exhale, and feel tension dissolve. Do it again 10 times.

- Put Off Problems Earlier Than They Occur. This takes some preparation. If you are going to another city for an valuable meeting, carry your presentation materials and dress suit on board the plane. Acquire gas for the car before the tank is unfilled. Get usual oil changes and checkups. Keep food, medicine, and toiletries on hand so you never have to feel tensed when they run out.

- Express Amusement And Be Happy. Laugh hard and loud. If you don't have a sense of humor, find someone else who has. Laughter releases endorphins (happy chemicals) from the body, and it helps boost your immune system.

- Live Optimistically. Count your blessings, particularly when everything seems to go wrong. Believe that many other people are living in worse conditions than you are. Don't exaggerate the complexity of your problems. Every problem has a solution. All you need to do is find that solution. Learn to be happy and to enjoy life's blessings. Live one day at a time.

Arrange a day of beauty with a friend. Do each other's hair, or paint your nails and chat. Make a simple steam facial at home by boiling water. Remove the pan from the stove. Cover your head with a large towel so that it creates a tent over the pot. Steam your face for five or 10 minutes. Add aromatic herbs to the water for a sensual touch. Center your attention on any of the senses - hearing, seeing, eating or body movements - for a few minutes. Even washing your hands can become a sensual experience.

Arrange a day of beauty with a friend. Do each other's hair, or paint your nails and chat. Make a simple steam facial at home by boiling water. Remove the pan from the stove. Cover your head with a large towel so that it creates a tent over the pot. Steam your face for five or 10 minutes. Add aromatic herbs to the water for a sensual touch. Center your attention on any of the senses - hearing, seeing, eating or body movements - for a few minutes. Even washing your hands can become a sensual experience.

Arrange a day of beauty with a friend. Do each other's hair, or paint your nails and chat. Make a simple steam facial at home by boiling water. Remove the pan from the stove. Cover your head with a large towel so that it creates a tent over the pot. Steam your face for five or 10 minutes. Add aromatic herbs to the water for a sensual touch. Center your attention on any of the senses - hearing, seeing, eating or body movements - for a few minutes. Even washing your hands can become a sensual experience.

- Move Away to Recharge Your Spirit. Make a schedule for a private time alone every day. You deserve it. Unplug the telephone and enjoy a quiet evening alone or with your family, or even 15 continuous minutes in the shower or bathtub. You may want to spend a few minutes writing your feelings out in a journal. It can help you find a new viewpoint in life and relieve internal conflicts.

Put into practice progressive relaxation for 20 minutes twice a day to relive high blood pressure and other physiological responses to stress. Make tighter and release each muscle group in turn, starting with the soles of the feet and slowly working up to the scalp. Have on earplugs for instant solitude anytime, anyplace. Practice a meditation technique. Try these methods: Observe your thoughts as they pass through your mind. Or, repeat a word or phrase with an uplifting meaning. Schedule a weekend activity that is a change of your usual routine. If your week is a lot scheduled, relax and enjoy noncompetitive activities. Take time out for a little entertainment in the middle of your workday. When the pressures of completing a project are too great, your productivity can drop.

- Use Visualization and Affirmation Techniques. You can conquer a circumstance you fear by going over the event in your mind. Imagine the scene in clear detail and visualize the best possible result that may happen.

- Use Visualization and Affirmation Techniques. You can conquer a circumstance you fear by going over the event in your mind. Imagine the scene in clear detail and visualize the best possible result that may happen.

You can reduce an imagined fear down to size by picturing the worst case scenario. Visualize describing this worst case to one of your friends the next day and the sympathy you receive. Imagine telling a group of friends the next month, who contribute to their similar experiences. Finally, imagine joking about your unpleasant experience with a complete stranger a month later.

- Get plenty of Sleep. Decide how much sleep you require for best possible performance. Lack of sleep reduces the body's ability to fight off stress and lowers the immune system.

- Get Sufficient Sleep. Settle on how much sleep you need to perform your best. Lack of sleep lowers the immune system and reduces the body's ability to fight stress.

- Don't Be Self-Centered. Always remember that you don't have to attain all the money, fame, and success in the world. Society tries to force us to build up as much achievements as we can, while trying to balance our own family and personal life. There's just not enough hours in the day to do all these tasks. Start from the most important and focus on one thing at a time.

Keep the Faith and Never Stop Believing. Dale Gustafson




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