Now that we know the effects that stress can do to you, getting started on a stress management method is necessary. Managing your stress helps you regain control over your life, instead of being consumed by the amount of stress you had to deal with. Here is how you can get started:
•Determine what causes stress in your life.
•Think of ways that you can reduce that stress.
• Formulate your stress management technique for relieving stress.
The following ideas will help you establish a stress management method that could work for you:
•Exercise. Exercise is the key and central method to compensate for stressors. A stressed person can stimulate endorphin release by regular activity and exercise. It is a naturally produced substance in the brain that induces feelings of peacefulness. So, physical exercise not only promotes overall fitness, but it helps you to manage emotional stress and tension as well. Exercise can also aid in relaxation and improve sleep. For one thing, exercise can emotionally remove one temporarily from a stressful environment or situation. Being fit and healthy also increases you ability to deal with stress as it arises.
Releasing stress performing exercise.
But even a 20-minute walk, run, swim and dance session in the midst of a stressful time can give an immediate relief that can last for several hours.
•Meditation. Meditation is by far the most popular and known method of stress reduction. Meditation and mindful prayer help the mind and body to relax and focus. Mindfulness can help people see new perspectives, develop self-compassion and forgiveness. When practicing a form of mindfulness, people can release emotions that may have been causing the body physical stress. Much like exercise, research has shown that even meditating briefly can reap immediate benefits.
Releasing stress performing meditation.
To do meditation,
• Sit on the floor and start deep and controlled breathing.
•Focus on your breath as you inhale; right from your nose and go down till your belly.
• Track back your breath as you exhale. At first, you will find it hard to focus, and your thoughts will keep on wandering. But as u keep on performing it, you will realize that your focus is getting better day by day. You don’t have to sit for hours in meditation.
•Performing it for 20-minute and you will start feeling good.
•Yoga. Yoga is considered by many to be the oldest defined practice of self-development. The methods of classical yoga include ethical disciplines, physical postures, breathing control and meditation. In this technique, you combine certain body movements and postures with deep breathing. This technique not only calms down your mind, but also relaxes your muscles.
Many studies have found that a little yoga in the morning, at night, or even during a lunch break can minimize stress and increase productivity. As a student, you can do yoga before a test, while studying and before going to bed.
There are many forms of yoga, an ancient Indian form of exercise based upon the premise that the body and breathing are connected with the mind. Some of forms are given below:
Mountain Pose (Tadasana)
Warrior (Virabhadrasana)
Angle (Utthita Parvakonasana)
Child’s Pose (Balasana)
Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)
Releasing stress performing yoga.
•Smile and laugh. Our brains are interconnected with our emotions and facial expressions. When people are stressed, they often hold a lot of stress in their face. So laughs or smiles can help relieve some of that tension and improve the situation.
Releasing stress through smile and laugh.
Smile/laugh is also a type of yoga and it provides many benefits:
•Greater flow of oxygen to brain
•Generate more energy in inner body
•Create a connection between fellow participants
•Good feeling is generated for a better quality of life
•Create a positive state of mind
•A way to relieve difficulties and challenges
•Relieve stress
•Strengthening of the immune system
•Get social support. We spend most of our time in digital world and are losing connect with the physical world. This is also one of the reasons for increasing stress. Going out with friends and meeting with family also helps in reducing stress. But if your family is a stressor, for example, it may not relieve your stress if you share your work woes with one of them. Or call a friend, send an email. When you share your concerns or feelings with another person, it does help relieve stress. But it’s important that the person whom you talk to is someone whom you trust and whom you feel can understand and validate you.
•Go for vacation. Vacation is a good method to release stress because it gets you away from your problems. Just planning a vacation keeps your mind off things that can stress you out. Vacations are a great way to get families and couples to spend time together away from the everyday. Pressures of their lives. The simple act of “getting away from it all” helps people reduce stress, whether it is for a day or a week.