Stress is the physiological and psychological reaction to the lack of ability to meet the demands placed upon them. While it is normal for everyone to experience stress, prolonged exposure to high stress can have severe consequences on one’s body and mind. It is important to learn to recognize your stress triggers and find effective ways to manage your stress to avoid it negatively affecting your life, or even making you unwell.

STRESS MANAGEMENT

Stress cannot be completely eliminated; however, unnecessary stress can be removed. Stress management refers to methods used to eliminate unnecessary stress and deal more effectively with daily stressors. Stress management techniques revolve around certain plans that are effective to minimize or help one effectively manage stress. There are several ways to do this. Here are some techniques that can help you address your stress and manage it in an effective manner in order to help you respond to it constructively.

Setting boundaries

Setting boundaries is an effective way of reducing unnecessary stressors. Being assertive and setting healthy boundaries can help you manage the tasks on your to-do list and focus on your well-being. This is a great way to avoid overburdening yourself with extra tasks and ensure that you prioritize your mental and emotional health.

Eliminate unnecessary stressors

It is important to identify stressors that are avoidable in order to eliminate or reduce them. For example, being overburdened at work can be a huge stressor. However, this is avoidable by proper planning or starting a little earlier if required. It can help eliminate this stressor.

Exercise, yoga, and meditation

These activities are a great way of finding an outlet for your stress by using up all the extra energy, taking time for yourself by detaching from the stressful event, and most importantly- building resilience against future stress. The release of endorphins can help refresh your mind and have a calmer approach toward life events that may otherwise seem stressful.

Cognitive restructuring

A lot of times, the source of stress can be miscommunication or lack of belief in yourself or others. It is helpful to look at stressful events objectively, by removing your assumptions from it. Try to look for evidence that helps you restore this communication or belief.

Affirmations

Try to replace your negative thoughts with supportive and encouraging ones. It is scientifically proven that affirmations help activate your reward system in the brain and have an overall positive effect on mood and performance!

It is important to remember that feeling stressed is a normal human response; having a completely stress-free life is an unrealistic aim. In case of extreme, unmanageable stress that makes one feel lost, hopeless, or overwhelmed- it is best to reach out to a professional. It is important to understand that even though stress is normalized as a “part of life” it can have irreversible consequences on one’s physical, emotional, and mental health.

Take Care y’all!