Stress management techniques

Table of Contents • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Stress Management Techniques for Instant Relief Stress is a natural part of our daily lives, and is actually an You can think of stress as having both a These stress management techniques can be called upon immediately for short-term relief whether you’re at work, at home, or somewhere in between. 1. Identify what’s stressing you out. If you know what’s stressing you out, you’ll have far greater control over the situation. You might be able to reduce the impact of the stressor, either by mitigating or eliminating it, or by proactively preparing for the stress you’ll likely encounter with it. While some sources of stress may be obvious (like a micromanaging boss) others may be sneakier (like 2. Take deep breaths. Sometimes, the best methods of short-term stress relief are the easiest. If you feel overwhelmed with a crisis you just can’t get control of, take a moment to practice deep breathing. Breathe in slowly and fully, hold your breath for a few seconds, then slowly release that breath fully. A few iterations of this will instantly reduce your stress. 3. Go outside. Even if you don’t consider yourself “outdoorsy,” 4. Drink water. When was the last time you drank water? Even slight dehydration can decrease your performance and make you feel more stressed. If you’re in a bad mood or if you feel a headache coming on, take a big drink of water and see if that helps. 5. Get a snack. It can also help to get a ...

We all have stress – at work, at home and on the road. Sometimes we can feel especially stressed because of a bad interaction with someone, too much work or everyday hassles like getting stuck in traffic. Chronic stress can keep you from feeling and performing your best – mentally, physically and emotionally. But no one’s life is completely stress-free. It’s important to know how to manage the stress in your life. These three simple techniques will help you deal with stress. 1. Positive Self-Talk Let’s be honest, we all talk to ourselves! Sometimes we talk out loud, but usually we do it in our heads. Self-talk can be positive (“I can do this” or “everything will be OK”) or negative (“I’ll never get better” or “I’m so stupid”). Negative self-talk increases stress. Positive self-talk can help you calm down and manage stress. With practice, you can learn to shift negative thoughts to positive ones. For example: Negative to Positive • Instead of saying, “I can’t do this,” say, “I’ll do the best I can. I’ve got this.” • Instead of saying, “I hate it when this happens,” say, “I know how to deal with this – I’ve done it before.” • Instead of saying, “I feel helpless and alone,” say, “I can reach out and get help if I need it.” • Instead of saying, “I can’t believe I screwed up,” say, “I’m human, and we all make mistakes. I can fix it.” To really make it work, practice positive self-talk every day – in the car, at your desk, before you go to bed or whenever you notice negative tho...

Practicing even a few minutes per day can provide a reserve of inner calm We all face stressful situations throughout our lives, ranging from minor annoyances like traffic jams to more serious worries, such as a loved one's grave illness. No matter what the cause, stress floods your body with hormones. Your heart pounds, your breathing speeds up, and your muscles tense. This so-called "stress response" is a normal reaction to threatening situations honed in our prehistory to help us survive threats like an animal attack or a flood. Today, we rarely face these physical dangers, but challenging situations in daily life can set off the stress response. We can't avoid all sources of stress in our lives, nor would we want to. But we can develop healthier ways of responding to them. One way is to invoke the "relaxation response," through a technique first developed in the 1970s at Harvard Medical School by cardiologist Dr. Herbert Benson, editor of the Harvard Medical School Special Health Report Following are six 1. Breath focus.In this simple, powerful technique, you take long, slow, deep breaths (also known as abdominal or belly breathing). As you breathe, you gently disengage your mind from distracting thoughts and sensations. Breath focus can be especially helpful for people with eating disorders to help them focus on their bodies in a more positive way. However, this technique may not be appropriate for those with health problems that make breathing difficult, such as resp...