What To Do To Relieve Stress
Knowing what to do to relieve stress can take the pressure off us in many different situations. Stress is something that we feel when we are anxious or afraid, either because we are in danger or because we fear a certain situation, such as worrying that a spouse may leave.
Worrying never improved any situation. We either need to take action of some kind or accept the situation without having negative feelings about it.
Often, being anxious stops us being able to decide what to do. We hesitate between several courses of action, worrying that we will not choose the best. We spend hours imagining possible consequences of all the things we could do. We have imaginary conversations with others in our heads, putting words into their mouths that may be the exact opposite of what they would really say.
Most people who suffer from stress believe that all this thinking is useful in some way. They believe they need to think things through. In fact it very rarely helps at all. They imagine a whole course of action from beginning to end and when they do make a choice they commit to it in an ‘all or nothing’ way so that it is very difficult to go back when, as is likely, things do not work out as they imagined.
When looking at a situation which is stressful, it is usually best to act with confidence. There will be consequences to your actions of course, but the way to go is to adapt with the changing situation and keep working towards your desired outcome.
However, most people need a little training to be able to do this. Conflict resolution and assertiveness training may be needed to overcome stressful situations, especially in situations where there is conflict or when stress stems from the expectations others may have of us.
It is also important to have a clear sense of what is important and what is not, so that we don’t sweat the small stuff. This means having some perspective on our lives and it is often achieved by taking up a new hobby or sport, some useful activity that you can be enthusiastic about. This will stop your whole life revolving around your work, your relationship, your health or whatever it is that is causing the stress.
When you have a moment of acute stress and you need something to calm you, a slow form of exercise such as Tai Chi or yoga can be very helpful. Meditation can also relieve stress if practiced regularly. Simply slowing down your breathing will often help.
A relaxation technique which was developed specifically to reduce stress, autogenic training involves 15 minute visualizations, ideally done three times a day. You can purchase CDs which show you how to use this technique.
Listening to relaxing music has also been proven to reduce stress. Choose instrumental music with a slow tempo and a relaxed feel. If you simply must have singing, try to pick something which won?t engage you emotionally, such as music sung in a language you do not speak.
Even with our hectic, overscheduled lives, you can avoid stress. There are ways to cope with stressful situations and you can even think of it as a challenge.