Stress is very much normal, and it almost affects everyone across the globe equally. It is the stimulus-response of the body against any form of demand in life. Hence, everyone needs to be well-versed with stress management techniques.
Stress could be associated with emotions, broken relationships, family problems, monetary challenges, parenting issues, work-related stress, and many more. It’s almost impossible for anyone to remain untouched from this change in life.
Due to its inseparable distance between stress and individual, people should learn the art of stress management which otherwise has a negative impact on individuals performance.
Stress relief has always been the focus to lead a quality life and people seek different means of stress relief. Here we are going to discuss a list of 8 most effective stress management techniques.
Here is a list of stress management techniques
The stressful experience is very much normal and part of the life of almost everyone. But the best thing is that some of our action might help in stress management or eliminating the stressor which might make ourselves overwhelmed and make us incapable in coping with it. Those actions are regarded as stress management techniques. (4, 5)
Sometimes, it is very much difficult for an individual to cope with the stress and its associated situation on its own and may require surroundings intervention. The surroundings may include family members, friends, society, communities, workplaces, and governments. (4)
It is always said that “if there is a problem, there is a solution”. There are various ways or lifestyle tweaks that might prove helpful in relieving stress. Some of the stress management techniques include:
Eliminate the Stressor
Stress is always having its origin and to eliminate stress from our life we need to identify the stressor and try to eliminate it and it not possible to eliminate try to minimize its impact.
If you have identified the origin of stress, think about what you can do to eliminate that or reduce its impact on your life. Sometimes people just need to change the perspective about anyone/anything that can result in stress relief.
Social Connect
It’s been observed that stressed people are always found to be alone and have fewer friends than a normal person. Stress may result in fewer connections or it may be otherwise, whatever may be the situation stress is linked to fewer friends.
An individual needs to connect to more and more people, the connectee may not necessarily be someone from outside. It could be family members, relatives, friends, neighbors, colleagues, and some other peoples.
Healthy Nutrition
In presence of stress it is found that people have stress eating habits. Usually, acute stress kills appetite however chronic or oxidative stress increases the cravings for fat and sugar due to the release of hormones like cortisol. Cortisol is commonly known as the stress hormone. (5)
When we encounter a stressor, our central nervous system releases adrenaline and cortisol stress hormone which affects our digestive system. Studies suggest that a combination of high cortisol and high sugar may result in the deposition of fat around our internal organs which may affect cardiovascular and metabolic health.
A healthy and balanced diet might help in providing the essential nutrition and energy. The intake of essential nutrients in a balanced manner might help in reducing the risk of stress and its associated risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disorders.
Meditation
Various studies suggest that mindfulness meditation helps reduce psychological stress and anxiety. Meditation even for minutes might have very calming effects on your life by relieving stress.
Try to meditate just for 5 minutes in a quiet and peaceful place and try to focus on the present rather than dwell on the past. It always will be the situation when some unwanted thoughts will show up but don’t linger on that and just get past through that by simply acknowledging it.
Nature’s Walk
Nature’s beauty has incredible calming effects on our minds and body. Studies conducted across several countries concluded that green scenery can improve our mood. Even though some videos about nature’s beauty will have similar effects.
If you are suffering from stress, it is advisable to spare some time from your busy schedule and go for a walk in a park or places with greenery. It will not be bad to plan a vacation to places with natural beauty.
Pleasurable Activities
In this busy schedule we often end-up cutting or times from our leisure activities which are essential for maintaining balance in our life. It’s always better to spare some time for ourselves and do the activities we are fond of.
It may be singing, reading favorite novels, playing musical instruments, watching comedies and favorite shows. These activities will help in taking your mind off from the regular work and help in relieving the stress.
Quality Sleep
Sleep is the natural healer and recharges our mind and body. A good quality sleep might be very helpful in relieving stress however, stress is itself the enemy of sleep. A good sleep of 7-8 hours is considered healthy for the proper functioning of the mind and body.
Sleep is also affected by our consumption pattern. If an individual has trouble sleeping, he/she may look for cutting some caffeine from their diet and try to focus on a sleep-friendly diet.
Physical Activities
The activities do not necessarily mean that you need to go for heavy exercise, or it should include weightlifting. It could be a brisk walk, hiking, a nature trail, or running some house chores. It does not just relieve stress but also helps in keeping you fit and healthy along with good quality sleep.
Exercises are known to be stress busters and several studies show that it causes the release of endorphin hormone which is also known as the happiness hormone. It improves your mood and keeps you happy.
What is stress?
Stress definition can vary with individuals however the stress can be defined as the health condition in which our brain and body respond to the demand or challenges associated with a certain situation or life event. The reason for stress could be anything that can make you angry, frustrates, and nervous. (1, 2, 3)
Stress can be for a very short span but in certain cases, it can persist for a very long time. The prolonged stress condition or oxidative stress may affect our health. It’s necessary to practice to do stress management to overcome these stress conditions. (3)
What are different types of stress?
Based on the life span of stress condition, it has been classified in two categories namely:
Acute Stress: This type of stress makes you off balance momentarily and goes away. It might occur in the situation when you want to try something new, faced some dangerous situation, or arguing with the partner. This sort of stress can be relieved easily like a breathing exercise. (2)
Chronic Stress: Oxidative or chronic stress is the stress; people should be wary of. It generally spans for quite some time and left you completely drained. A situation like complicated marriage, monetary deficit, and the work-related problem may result in chronic stress. It can be relieved by regular meditation, exercise, and a healthy diet. (2)
Stress management very much dependent upon the types of stress, different stress requires different measures of stress management.
What are the symptoms of stress?
There could be various sign and symptoms of stress condition however it has been grouped in three broad categories: (2)
- Emotional Changes
- Anxiety
- Anger
- Frustration
- Sadness
- Behavioral Changes
- Indecisive
- Social Withdrawal
- Irritation
- Reduced Sexual Desire
- Aggression
- Alcohol, Smoking, Drugs
- Physical Changes
- Stress Headache
- Nausea
- Indigestion
- Palpitations
- Breathing Heavily
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
What is a stress test?
The stress test is prescribed by the doctor mainly in the case of heart conditions. This test evaluates the important vitals such as blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing pattern while the patient goes through a stress test.
A stress test may include running or walking on the treadmill, cycling on a stationary bike. This test can also be done by giving some drugs that may mimic the effects of physical activities.
When to See Doctor/Professional
Usually, stress shouldn’t be life-threatening however in certain cases, people get overwhelmed and may have suicidal tendencies. In these circumstances, it is advisable to seek immediate medical professional help. (3)
There might be other situations where an individual mightn’t be able to cope with stress, have altogether new symptoms of stress, or even frequent use of alcohol and drugs to relieve stress. (3)
Summary
Stress has become part of everyone’s life and it is impacting our life detrimentally. It could be acute or chronic stress which disrupts our lifestyle and in certain cases may be life-threatening. Some of the lifestyle modifications may have been proven successful against stress as stress management techniques however professional intervention will be essential in extreme cases. “Stay Happy, Stay Healthy”.
