We all feel the effects of stress from time to time. Whether it be an issue at work, family troubles or the burden of bills flying at you, there’s no escaping it, stress is a human emotion and one that we can’t avoid forever. It’s not all bad news however, and there are processes you can put in place to make sure when those stressful situations do hit, you are prepared. Here’s 5 daily exercises you can do to reduce stress and reclaim your happiness.
PRACTISE MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness is a word you may have seen thrown about a lot lately, but the simple explanation is ‘living in the moment’. Understanding that although issues may control and consume your current thought pattern, they will pass, but only if you let them.
The objective of mindfulness is to commit your full attention to what you’re doing, be present and not to dwell on the past or future. Focus on what your current situation is and try not to worry about what may happen in the future. It’s very easy to slip from concentration to contemplation and start to worry yourself with potential outcomes instead of focusing on desired ones.
Mindfulness is a study of concentration and control, and plays a big part in many traditional and holistic mental health treatments, such as meditation. Allowing your thoughts to distract you from your overall goal can be as damaging as not having a goal at all.
Practise focusing on the task at hand and try to remove all other thoughts from your head.
GET MORE SLEEP
One of the most significant stress-triggers is a lack of sleep. Often when we are focusing on meeting an upcoming deadline, worried about financial problems or concerned about personal issues, our sleep cycle is the first thing we disregard. Stress can cause a lack of sleep and a lack of sleep prolongs stress, so what can we do to disrupt this cycle?
Rather than relying on medication to improve your sleep pattern, you should focus on maximising relaxation before bed. Try to create an environment that welcomes calmness and avoid reminders of stressful triggers. If this means placing your phone or laptop outside of your bedroom, then so be it!
Your bedroom should be a place for sleep and nothing more, encourage yourself to leave all work outside the bedroom and create clear boundaries between relaxing areas and working areas.
You should also keep your screen time to a minimum as electronic devices stimulate your brain waves, making it harder to fall asleep. If need be, read a calming book and focus on making your time in bed as relaxing as possible.
It may take time, but eventually your brain will recognise that bedtime is time for sleep, not stress.
KEEP A STRESS DIARY
Keeping a stress diary may seem like an inconvenience at first, but it will help you to determine what situations cause you stress. You may be surprised by the results that you find, as often stress triggers are ignored initially and only taken notice of once they have evolved into high-level stress.
A stress diary allows you to manage your stress levels and better understand what problems are the cause. Give each situation a rating out of 10 and at the end of each day, reflect on the what episode caused the greatest reaction.
Once you understand which situations cause you stress, you will be better equipped to deal with them in the future.
WORK ON TIME MANAGEMENT
Time management is pivotal element in maintaining comfortable stress levels. If you constantly feel overwhelmed by your to-do list, chances are your time management skills need some attention. Make a list of the things you would like to accomplish at the beginning of each day and a time frame within which you would like to achieve them.
Dedicate that amount of time to each task and be sure to focus on that task solely (remember our mindfulness?) before moving on to the next. Prioritise the most important tasks and try not to switch between jobs as it can often reduce productivity and make you feel flustered.
Practising effective time management is not only a skill that will reduce stress, but is an important aspect of all professional work. By splitting a seemingly insurmountable list of jobs into prioritised, timed-honoured sections, you can increase productivity and reduce work-related stress.
UNDERSTAND STRESS AS A NORMAL HUMAN REACTION
Stress is not something that should be avoided. In many cases, it is an indicator that we have pushed ourselves to achieve more and have a desire to work harder, however excess stress is the antidote for success.
If you believe that feeling stressed is something to be ashamed of or a sign of weakness, you’re only adding to the problem. Stress is a normal, human reaction to the obstacles that life throws at us and not something to be ignored. It doesn’t necessarily have to play a negative role in our lives.
You should acknowledge and consider the impact of stress on your work, home or social life and reflect on its affect. How can you better manage the situation and what are the causes for your stress?
Always remember that no matter their situation, all people will experience stress, it is how you manage it that dictates its impact.
If you are struggling with stress-related illness and require help, talking through your experiences and issues is a great way to start you journey to recovery. If you aren’t quite ready to visit a therapist or speak with a family member, why not speak with someone in the same boat?
Start a thread and get the support and encouragement you need to overcome the black cloud of stress. Share your story today.
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