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Plan ahead. |
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Make a to-do list in order of priorities. |
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Do not bite off more than you can chew. Don't try to pack more into your day than you
can cope with comfortably. |
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Just say 'no' to unrealistic deadlines. There is no need to feel guilty if you have to
change plans or arrangements because of an impossibly tight schedule. |
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Finish the most important task before you tackle the next one. |
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Take regular breaks. Short rests between periods of concentrated mental effort,
particularly when you are frustrated with a project or are unable to move forward, can be
refreshing and help you to refocus. Five minutes of each hour or 15 minutes every two
hours allows a more manageable pace. |
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Take regular vacations. |
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Stop Living Beyond Your Means: Living beyond your means can actually make you sick. A
researcher at the University of Alabama studied British census data on 8,000 households
and found that families that tried to maintain lifestyles they couldn't afford were likely
to have health problems. |
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Sit up straight. A good upright posture improves breathing and increases blood flow to
the brain. We often slouch when stressed, which restricts breathing and blood flow and can
magnify feelings of helplessness. |
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Learn to recognize your own symptoms of stress. These may include irritability,
sleeplessness, social and/or sexual withdrawal, loss of interest in activities,
and lack of
appetite. |
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Talk about stressful events to a friend or spouse before you reach a breaking
point. If
you can, let go and cry. Like talking, crying externalizes pent-up feelings and may reduce
the risk of stress-related illness. If you need extra help, seek counseling from a mental
health professional. |
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Recognize that some things cannot be changed and put your energy toward those that can. |
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Identify the sources of your stress. This gives you more choice in how you react. If
necessary, make a note of the circumstances, and see if a pattern emerges. As you delve
deeper, you are more likely to discover the root of your problem. This
will allow you to solve it
at the deepest, most effective level. |
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Cultivate an optimistic attitude. Don't talk yourself into believing that you can't
cope. |
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Reduce your exposure to events that tick you off.
Go to the bank at an off-hour to avoid
maddening lines. Mask outside noise by turning on relaxing music. |
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Maintain a sense of humor about it all. |
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Learn to express anger in a constructive way. Keeping anger within you adds to feelings
of stress; blowing up in a rage is almost as bad. Simply being able to say "that
makes me very angry" and working out ways of avoiding anger-provoking situations are
positive steps in dealing with anger. |
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Focus on others' rather than your own problems.
If time permits, do a few hours of
volunteer work each week. |
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Exercise every day, even if you have time for only a brisk, 20-minute walk. |
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Stretch your chest for better breathing: The tense musculature of a person under stress
can make breathing difficult and impaired breathing can aggravate the anxiety you already
feel. To relax your breathing, roll your shoulders up and back then relax. The first time,
inhale deeply as they go back, exhale as they relax. Repeat four or five more times, then
inhale deeply again. Repeat the entire sequence four times. |
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Get a Hand Exerciser: Keep a hand exerciser or a tennis ball in your desk at work and
give it a few squeezes during tense times. When stress shoots adrenaline into the
bloodstream, that calls for muscle action. Squeezing something provides a release that
satisfies our bodies' fight-or-flee response. |
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Pop a bubble. A study found that students were able to reduce their feelings of tension
by popping two sheets of those plastic air capsules used in packaging. |
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Soak in a Hot Tub: Soaking in hot tub is a very good stress-reliever. We have covered
this in detail elsewhere. |
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Hold your breath. This technique should help you relax in 30 seconds. Take a deep breath
and keep it in. Holding palm to palm, press your fingers together. Wait 5 seconds, then
slowly exhale through your lips while letting your hands relax. Do this five or six times
until you unwind. |
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Pay attention to such signs of stress as a tension headache and stop what you are doing
for a rest break. If possible, take a warm bath or treat yourself to a massage during
periods of stress. If this is not possible, practice deep abdominal breathing whenever you
feel muscular tension setting in. |
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Don't neglect your diet. Start off with a breakfast containing protein and carbohydrates
for sustained energy and don't let the demands of your day get in the way of lunch. |
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Take a ten-minute holiday: Meditation is a great stress reliever, but sometimes it's
hard to find the time or place for it. Take a mini-vacation right at your desk or kitchen
table instead. Just close your eyes, breathe deeply (from your stomach) and picture
yourself lying on a beach in Mexico or Hawaii. (Guided Imagery) Feel the warmth of the
sun. Hear the waves. Smell the salt air. Just put a little distance between yourself and
your stress. A few minutes a day can be a great help. |
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Keep it Quiet or Down: If you work, live or play in a high-noise area, consider wearing
earplugs. Make sure the ones you buy reduce sound by at least 20 decibels. |
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Remember, on their deathbed, no one says, "I wish I'd spent more time at the
office." |
