Everyone everywhere has stress. It may not be a constant companion, but stress can be debilitating over time. Practicing good self-care and other behaviors can limit the effects of stress on your life.
Receiving a massage Belconnen is another way to keep stress at bay and find more peace within.
Below are 10 ways to restore your peace of mind and reduce the stressors in your life.
Avoid Alcohol, Nicotine, and Caffeine
Avoid, or try to significantly reduce your consumption of alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine. These last two are stimulants and will increase stress levels rather than reduce them as many people believe.
Alcohol is a depressant, although many people think the opposite when they begin drinking. When taken in large quantities, a person will become depressed, which can only add to a stressed feeling.
Reach for herbal teas, water or natural fruit juices as a way to stay hydrated throughout the day. This will help your body better fight stress when it arrives in the body.
Eat Better
Try to limit or avoid refined sugars, processed foods and anything that is not natural or a plant-based food source. Sugar can lead to a quick high than a large crash. This is a cause of stress in many people as they are not able to sustain a “high” from a sugary snack.
Pack your kitchen and work area with all-natural foods and snacks so you won’t be tempted to eat unhealthily when you are stressed.
Practice More Physical Activity
A stressful situation increases the stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline in your body. These are part of the “flight or fight” signals we get when stressed. A constant state of stress can raise the levels of these hormones to dangerous levels and keeping up such high levels of stress is bad for your body.
Engaging in exercise acts as a substitute and metabolizes the stress hormones. This helps to restore your mind to a calmer state as well as your body to a more relaxed stance.
Try a quick, brisk walk when you feel overwhelmed and stressed. Fresh air is a great stress reducer. Try for a regular, daily physical activity and watch your stress levels go down and your peace of mind return.
Practice Stress Reduction Techniques
Try to incorporate a stress reduction technique into your daily routine. There are many different ways to reduce stress, and you will find that one technique over all the other works best for you.
One that is extremely easy to do and can be done anywhere is self-hypnosis. It is as easy as choosing a positive phrase or word, then concentrating on that word. Choose something like “peace”, “calm”, or “love”, or something affirming like “I deserve good things in my life” or something out of the Serenity Prayer.
By focusing on your chosen word or phrase, you are blocking out the stress. If you find your mind wandering, and it will simply bring it back to the word you are repeating. Don’t worry if this practice doesn’t work well at first. Relaxation takes a lot of practice and it will come to you in time.
Get More Sleep
This is easier said than done when a racing mind can keep you awake at night.
Try not to rely on medications to help you get a good night’s sleep. Try to maximize your relaxation before you go to sleep, which works like a drug without the side effects.
Keep your bedroom for sleeping and resting only. Do not bring your computer, television, smartphone or even a book in the bedroom. All of these items are stimulating to the brain and interrupt the signal for sleep.
Keep a Stress Journal
Write down, for at least a week, each time you get stressed. Note the time of day, what you were doing and what you were thinking. Also, note if you were with anyone and how that person or persons make you feel.
You can rate the incidents of stress on a scale, whatever amount works best for you. After keeping track of what has been making you stressed out, look back and notice any patterns of what you were doing or who you were with. This will be helpful in avoiding stressful situations.
Learn to say “No”
This is one of the hardest things for many individuals to learn. Many people believe they can’t say no, or the other person will not like them any longer or will be so mad at them, they will never speak to them again.
Practice saying “no” with gentle calmness, which is always better than anger. Words like, “I’m sorry, I just can’t right now,” or ask them to ask you, next time because you are overcommitted at the moment is a nice way of saying “no I can’t.”
Take a Nap
When you are stressed, the best medicine may be to remove yourself from the situation and take a brief nap. The world always looks better after a short nap.
Napping isn’t just for children and the elderly. Taking a break from reality to nap is good for stress levels as well as your physical wellbeing. Even if you can only close your eyes for five minutes, you will find you have a new and improved outlook when you open your eyes.
Play Games
If you can get together with a group of friends on a weekly basis, try a game night. Playing games with friends allow you to relax and have fun which moves you away from stress.
Even playing a video game on your phone for a few minutes will allow you to escape an overwhelming feeling of stress. Just don’t play anything that will have you more stressed than before the game started. Remember, it is a game and meant for fun, not more stress.
Let Go
This may be harder to do than saying “no” but letting go can be one of the most freeing things an individual can do. Remember, you live in the present, not the past. Keep this in mind as one of your mantras and you will find you’re less stressed than before.
