Most of the time in your life you end up complicating the things that are simple, just because you are anxious and feel stressed. Stress is one of the most common causes of decline in performance and efficiency. Stress can mold you into what you are not supposed to be. Stress also creates a false perception of the things and makes them look difficult and unachievable. Stress is more or less a mental phenomenon and can be rectified if you have the required willpower.
The most common question that arises is; how to relieve stress? Stress, as it seems, is a simple thing but in reality it is a combination of several different conditions that you might face. There are different causes for the development of stress and they are interlinked. It is essential if you want to live a healthy and prosperous life you need to live stress free.
What Is Stress And Why Does It Matter?
Stress is a natural human response to a situation that feels overwhelming and uncontrollable. Though the situation might be relatively easier to get over but the mental block that is created that makes it overwhelming is what stress is. Stress can result from work overload, an argument or even the thoughts that keep you worried about something. Stress is a condition linked to your mental capacity and your ability to face the challenges of life. There can be different causes for your stress throughout the phases of your life.
To relieve stress means to get over the situation that is creating a blockade on you. Stress can be a part of our daily lives and it is quite common to get stressed over things. Stress matters because it is associated with the development of negative traits in you. When you stress over things, there is a high possibility that you will end up underachieving what you initially intended to achieve. It will then become a norm for you and you will normalize if you underperform. These are the negatives associated with stress and are needed to be addressed in order to live a healthy life.
Why Is Stress Management Important?
As stress is due to different reasons and multiple other components are also involved in causing stress, it needs to be managed effectively. Throughout your life you can get stressed and the circumstances keep changing. In your teenage you might get stressed over due to the exams or your family but as you get older you change. As an adult you might get stressed due to the employment problems due to parenthood. So if you want a stress free life it is important that you face the challenges at each step of your life with courage and not fear the outcome.
Stress management is essential as it helps in building resilience in you and you become able to cope with difficulties in your life. Stress management focuses on the ways to relieve stress, you should know what triggers stress in you. Once you identify the root cause you can easily overcome stressful situations and excel in your life.
Why Is Stress Bad For Us?
It is simple that the thing that affects your mind and body and is harmful for your overall well being is bad for you. Stress and anxiety are closely related, you get anxious when you stress over something. They are linked to creating a constant state of restlessness in you. You are always in a state of rush and your mind is never focused. You get distracted and it leads to the creation of other complications.
Stress can be bad for you in ways you don’t really consider like it affects your personality as a whole. Your confidence and your body language take a hit and ultimately it affects your everyday life. Your relationship with your family, friends and other close ones is also affected. In the end it is your mind, your body and your well being that gets displaced. In such a scenario you should know how to reduce stress and get over such situations.
How Stress Affects Your Mind And Body
Stress is a main contributor in declining your quality of life. Stress can be bad for you in many ways. The one thing that is affected the most due to stress is your mental well being. Your mental health takes a toll and a lot of other mental conditions can also find their way into you and contribute to damaging your mind. You get forgetful, you are in a constant state of worry, you lose your attention and are easily distracted, you can’t focus on your goal and have frequent mood swings. Starting your day with positivity can help reduce stress; try these simple morning affirmations for a refreshing and focused mindset.
Apart from the mental aspect, your physical health is also affected by stress. It is the one that is clearly visible and it includes a dull and weary body. A very weak body language and lesser impulsiveness. Not only these but the effects of stress that can be physically observed include a racing heart, constant headaches, muscle tension and an upset stomach. It is clearly visible how much stress affects the mind and the body. Ultimately it is you who suffer from these and if you are able to overcome these you can negate these negatives resulting from stress.
Types Of Stress: Good Stress vs. Bad Stress
Stress as commonly seen is only associated with negativity and it is somewhat right. Stress is a negative behavior and has devastating effects on your mind and body. The other side of the picture is that stress also has something positive to offer. Stress is responsible for triggering the flight or flight response in our body. It is needed by our body to overcome tense situations.
So not only it helps in fighting the difficult situation but it also helps in adapting to the changes. You get a taste of a difficult situation and keep your hormonal balance in control. So stress can not only be negative it can help our bodily systems to get activated and provide a handy experience in fighting tough situations.
The Most Common Causes Of Stress
Stress can have several different causes and they differ at every stage of life. Most of the stress experienced in life can be in the later stages of life. As an adult you are more likely to experience stress and to relieve stress is what you should focus on. The most common causes of stress includes:
Workplace Stress
In this advancing world the work culture has also developed and become advanced as well. It has gotten faster with time and the work deadlines are shortening. It has led to the increase in workload and development of pressure. Moreover the workplace environment has also changed and become a lot more competitive which demands more dedication and effort.
These practices are responsible for the stress experienced in the workplace settings. Workplace stress is one of the main contributors to the overall stress experienced by people and it deeply affects the person.
Financial Pressure
Financial pressure to make a living and support yourself as well as your family can be a major cause of stress. In this fast paced life, nothing is constant and situations keep changing. Even if you have a steady source of income you still stress about your future and the ways to sustain your wealth.
This leads to the development of extra pressure on you. Also it is quite clear that your expenses might exceed your earning and leave you in debt. These are the situations that affect your daily life and are related to financial problems.
Health Issues
Health is the one that is the most vulnerable in these times and is affected by multiple different things. As health should be the top most priority of people, they still ignore it and then it leads to unstable health. As the healthcare is also very expensive it drains the money from people.
They spend their savings on health maintenance and it creates a burden of stress on them. Health if timely taken care of and looked after can prevent such stresses and not affect your financial stability as well.
Relationship Problems
Relationships are a part of life and to sustain them demands a lot of effort and dedication. It is a sensitive part of life and any fluctuation in it can cause a significant stress in life. Healthy relationships thrive and are a way to relieve stress whereas on the opposite the relationships that are damaged are prone to the challenges.
They put extra pressure on you and to maintain them you do your best effort you even overwork and drain yourself. So a relationship that is well looked after is the one that can bring you out from stress.
Academic Stress
It is not possible that while discussing stress you don’t not talk about academic stress. One of the most common contributors to stress are academics. Students, mostly teenagers, are the ones most affected by this type of stress. Everyone wants a stable life and to pave the way for such a life is to excel in your academics. Students are in a constant competition with other students, it is what they believe.
That is not the case if they go easy and remain consistent they can still achieve their goals. But most of them try to do more than their capacity and it creates stress. It is avoidable but proper counselling is required.
Unrealistic Expectations
People always set unrealistic expectations and that when not met definitely hurts and is what we call stress. You should always remain in the present and assess all the scenarios before setting expectations. Realistic and achievable expectations are positive and they have a boosting effect on you.
While the expectations that are based on fantasy are the ones that trigger stress and lead you towards a state of dismay. Effective stress management in such scenarios is achieved by reminding yourself of the reality and to live with it.
12 Simple Tips & Ways To Relieve Stress
Stress is a part and parcel of life, living life doesn’t mean that you will never experience stress or will dodge it. You will somehow encounter stress and the one who knows how to deal and how to reduce stress is the one who has an edge over others. These simple tips will surely help you to get rid of stress.
Get More Physical Activity
Physical activity is a natural stress reliever that helps you and your body to get rid of stress and worries. Physical activity diverts your attention from your worries and it helps you to focus on yourself. When you move and engage in physical activity it creates a sense of working and tasking. It stimulates your muscles and body and ultimately helps in the reduction of stress.
Eat A Balanced Diet
A body which is nor fully fit can not function optimally. So the body should first attain its optimum capacity and then work. Stress is also related to poor dietary choices. A poor diet affects your mind and body and when your mind is compromised you are prone to stress. So you should eat a diet full of fruits, veggies and dairy to support your well being.
Minimize Phone Use And Screen Time
Although at this time it seems impossible to limit the screen time and let go of your mobile phone, it is necessary. Too much screen time is linked to interfere with your brain functioning and the brain being altered in any way creates stress. Moreover minimizing mobile use can positively affect your health in a way you cut a bit of your online life. Staying motivated plays a key role in managing stress effectively; explore simple tips to stay motivated every day to maintain a positive mindset.
Practice Self-Care
Getting rid of stress is also linked to practicing self care and self love. When you give time to yourself you actually help yourself to get away from the negatives and focus on the positives of your life. This is an effective way of stress reduction if you are facing difficulty in managing stress.
Spend Time With Friends And Family
Family and your friends are the ones that are closest to you and being with them automatically boosts your mind. A fresh mind is free of stress and worries and what better way can there be than spending time with your loved ones. Moreover they can help you lower your stress levels by suggesting you other ways as they know better what suits you.
Create Boundaries And Learn To Say No
Stress also results when you overwhelm yourself with roles and responsibilities you can not endure. You accept these roles as you are forced to and then regret as you have no choice which leads to being stressful. You can manage this by setting boundaries and saying No where it is needed.
Meditate
Meditation is also a proven method used to relieve stress. It is a body stress relief practice that is so calming and soothing. You relax your mind and body and let it feel itself. It creates a pleasant mood and you can forget your worries for the meantime.
Laugh More
Laughing is an exercise that has a direct impact on reduction in the stress levels. Stress and laughing are polar opposites and it has in itself an anti stress effect. You laugh when you are happy and are in a good mood, so it automatically wards off the negatives from you whether it’s stress or any other condition.
Get Enough Sleep
Sleep is very important for the mind and body to function normally. When the sleep is disturbed you are already a step closer towards being stressed. The body is already tired and even the smallest of the triggers will cause stress to you. A proper sleep is necessary for the mind to remain stress free.
Try Journaling
Journaling is also one of the ways that has proven to be beneficial in the process of dealing with stress. When you write you are engaged in a mental capacity towards a specific task. It diverts your attention towards writing and ignores your worries. So journaling is also the way to go.
Spend Time In Nature
Nature has the ability to attract you towards itself. It is a divine experience and anyone looking for the most relaxing way to relieve stress should absolutely spend time in nature. Nature holds you in its serenity and you feel like you have been transported to another dimension. You should manage time to spend in nature if you are stressed out and want to relax.
Seek Counseling
Counselling should never be ignored in any situation. You can initially try to do things by yourself and they might benefit you. But if stress feels overwhelming and you are unable to cope with it, You should seek a professional and follow the guidelines.
How Can I Manage My Stress?
Stress is more of a mental condition than a physical one. You can control stress by controlling your brain and by knowing yourself better. Stress management therapies are also proven to be beneficial for many. Managing stress requires a strong mind and the application of various techniques that counter stress. If you master the art of managing yourself you can easily manage stress.
Conclusion
Stress is a hurdle in life that prevents you from achieving your full potential. It creates unwanted barriers that remain with you for your lifetime. Stress is a mind game and a game is won by the player who plays better on the field. You as a player need to be at your best to defeat the opponent called stress.
Frequently Asked Questions
Discover more insightful tips and resources to improve your well-being on our homepage.