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10 Ways to Cope with Stress

10 Ways to Cope with Stress

If you live a stressful life you need to learn to cope with stress effectively to keep the stress from taking over and robbing you of your happiness and health. Here we will discuss 10 Ways to Cope with Stress (6 Stress Relief Techniques & 4 Stress Management Techniques).

Stress Relief Tips and Stress Management Techniques

6 Stress Relief Tips/Techniques

We all get stressed out due to different things in our lives including family obligations, work, and the like. However, stress is very dangerous and can cause many health problems so even if you experience stress daily you need to work on eliminating your stress so you can stay healthy and enjoy life. The following tips will help you relieve your stress.

Stress Relief Tip #1 Deep Breathing Exercises 

Deep breathing exercises are another option for stress relief and can pretty much be performed anywhere. When you breathe deeply you are providing your body with more oxygen and relaxing your muscles. These help relieve stress and should be used regularly. (Read more here on → Relaxation Techniques to Reduce Stress and Anxiety)

Stress Relief Tip #2 Meditate

Meditation is a great way to get away from all the stress of your daily life and just be quiet and focus on yourself and your body. It does take practice to be able to meditate properly and block out all of the outside thoughts and noises, but as you practice you will get better. Meditation is clinically proven to reduce stress, so buy a book on meditation, and get started!

   Read more here on → Meditation for Stress & Anxiety Relief

Here's a video guide to Simple Meditation:


Stress Relief Tip #3 Exercise

Exercise is fantastic for reducing stress and also for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. So, make time in your day for at least 30 minutes of exercise and you will feel the stress melting away as well as those extra pounds.

Stress Relief Tip #4 Massage

A wonderful way to reduce stress is to get a massage every week. While massages are expensive they are effective at reducing stress and helping you feel happier and healthier. If you don't want to spend the money then ask your significant other for a massage to help fight stress.

Stress Relief Tip #5 Get Some Rest

Getting enough sleep is the number one way to fight stress because your body is rested and ready to take on the day's activity. When you don't get enough sleep your body will be too tired to engage in stress relief activities, which means if you are too tired to relieve your stress your stress will just continue to build. The average amount of sleep recommended for adults is 7-8 hours per night so try turning out the lights early. (Read more: How to Fall Asleep with Stress & Anxiety)

Stress Relief Tip #6 Laugh

Whether you go see a funny movie, or a comedy show, or simply have lunch with a friend who makes you smile you will be reducing your stress. There is just something about laughing and having fun that is stress relief in itself and something you should try when you feel you just can't deal with the stress anymore.

Many religious individuals use prayer for stress relief and it does work. It does not matter what religion you are, but when you pray you are calming and relaxing your brain and body, both of which are important for stress relief.

4 Stress Management Techniques

If you lead a stressful life then you need several stress management techniques that you can use daily to help you relieve your stress, tense muscles, and anxiety. Fortunately, there are hundreds of stress management tips that you can include in your daily life to help you unwind and relax.

The following stress management techniques are just a few of the more popular ones; however, any activity that redirects your attention from stressful thoughts to fun thoughts will work.

Stress Management Technique #1 Progressive Muscular Relaxation (PMR)

If you are experiencing tense muscles then you should focus on relaxing those muscles. The best way to do this is with PMR. First, tense up one group of muscles as tight as possible and hold for 10 seconds. Then, relax those muscles and continue this with all of your muscle groups. When you finish focus on relaxing your muscles even further.

By doing this you will be able to relax your tense muscles more so than if you just tried to relax them from the start.. This stress management technique is very helpful for reducing tense muscles.

   Read alsoProgressive Muscle Relaxation in Detail

Stress Management Technique #2 Relaxation Response

Another good stress management option is the relaxation response. With this, you sit quietly for approximately 20 minutes and focus on relaxing the muscles of your feet first, and when they are completely relaxed move up to your legs, stomach, and up your body.

While you are relaxing your muscle groups make sure you are also breathing in deep and exhaling and counting each breath. Doing this will keep you focused and not allow you to become distracted.

Stress Management Technique #3 Aerobics, yoga, and recreational sports aid in relaxation

Just 20 minutes of aerobic activity, six to seven days a week will improve your ability to control stress significantly. Yoga relaxes your mind progressively as your body increases its amount of muscular work. When your muscle groups repeatedly contract and relax, your brain receives a signal to release specific neurotransmitters that relax you and make you more alert.


Try to have a place set aside at work where you can practice aerobics and yoga. Recreational sports, such as tennis, volleyball, squash or basketball help control stress by ridding your body of stress-causing adrenaline and other hormones. These sports involve getting away from the workplace which may be a bonus.

Try to take a break every 90 minutes. Even something as simple as walking or climbing stairs, stretching, or basic calisthenics will help your stress levels come down.

Management Technique #4 Think Positively

A great stress management option is to always think positively. Many times we stress ourselves because we worry over what others will think, if we will say or do the right things as well as many other things. So, stop worrying about the future and what others think and simply think positively. When you think positively you won't stress about the little things and will be more confident as well.

Here's a useful video for you on How to Stop Worrying and Start Living:


Incorporate this stress management tip in your daily life right now and you won't need to focus on stress management anymore because it will be part of your daily routine!

   See also:

 

Developing a stress management plan

Developing a stress management plan can help you out in many ways. For some, it’s the only path to freedom from the constant chaos of a stressful existence. Take a few minutes to analyze your life, and how a plan to manage your stress can lead to greater health and happiness.

Identify the Source(s) of Your Chronic Stress

When your life is out of control, it feels like everything stresses you out. However, experts recommend finding the exact cause of your worst stress, to manage it more effectively. For example, if exposure to a certain co-worker or in-law rattles you, be aware of it. Plan a way of dealing with these sources of stress, or avoiding them all together whenever possible.

Being prepared for a stressful situation can often see you through it unscathed. If you’re uncertain what the events that cause you the most stress are, start a journal. Not only will that help you make the important determination, but it will also be a way of relieving stress in the meantime.

Use To-Do Lists To Organize

Prioritize the things you’ve got to do in a day and write them down. Keep this list with you, and cross items off as they are accomplished. This will provide you with a certain level of motivation, as well as work to ease your mind about getting everything done.

Use a list for every workday, and depend on it as a means of averting anxiety. Since it’s prioritized, by midday or so you should have the most important tasks out of the way, giving you less to worry about.

Buy an event calendar, and pencil in activities during certain time blocks. Use this not just to keep up with your to-do list, but to allow you a few moments in between to relax and forget about the next item coming up.


Relieve Physical Stress

Your physician may have warned you about the physical toll stress can take on your body. Once your life is in a stress cycle, it’s difficult to break. The neurochemicals released by your brain remain in production long after you’ve removed yourself from the stressful environment. This is why it takes the first two or three days of your vacation to ascertain a somewhat tranquil state of mind.

The most effective way to combat the physical stress is with exercise. Take a quick jog around the block each morning, or end your days with a peaceful walk. Any type of regular exercise will help combat stress; use this time to also put things into perspective, or figure out new ways of approaching a problem.

Schedule Time Alone

Whether you’ve got children to take care of, a spouse or ailing parent, or a demanding boss, you must allow yourself time to be alone.

Make an appointment at a spa, and enjoy a soothing massage. If such a luxury would stress your budget, try taking a drive to the countryside or ocean.

Plant a small garden in your backyard or on the balcony if you’re a city dweller, and use the time it takes to care for it to rejuvenate and just relax.

Practice The Art of Meditation (or any Relaxation Technique)

There’s a good reason yoga has been around so long: It works! Consider joining a class, or doing the various poses in your home. Discover which ones are your favorites, and the most beneficial for your symptoms.

The deep breathing associated with yoga will help you learn to control yourself more, giving way to useful methods of dealing when stuck amid a tense or problematic situation.

Your personalized stress management plan will include many different strategies and maneuvers. Consider all of the ways you can alleviate stress, from laughter to exercise to tending to a beautiful garden. As you develop new techniques, rewrite your stress management plan. Evolve with your learning, and you will eventually find a way to be free from stress, or at least have it well under control.

Hope you find this article on 10 Ways To Cope with Stress useful. If you have more ideas about ways to cope with stress do comment below.

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