Life for almost everyone is a series of stressful events, hopefully, interspersed with periods of abatement and recovery. However, many people are operating their day-to-day lives under a continuous current of tension and stress that seems to never leave them.
I know I’ve been there. Working in public accounting during the busy season was generally a stressful season. It included a lot of late nights and early mornings. It pretty much felt there was endless of things to finish but never enough time or budget.
Cumulative stress can stem from conditions such as relationship issues, financial woes, or job-related issues. This can be compounded by self-image and self-worth issues. Whether your stress is chronic or acute, the good news is that there are proven healthy ways to cope with the symptoms. Also, in the case of chronic stress, methods exist to help in reducing the body’s stress reactions to events and circumstances.
Disclaimer:
This post is NOT a replacement for professional medical care, especially regarding chronic or other mental illnesses. Please consult with your medical professional for guidance on how to proceed.
The methods below are some of I’ve found personal success in, in helping to better manage my stress.
Method 1: Express Your Stress
Precisely defining and expressing your anxieties and feelings can immediately help you begin to release the problem. Confiding in a good friend or close family member is always an option. Maybe you would prefer to see a counseling professional to receive a completely unbiased and non-judgemental perspective. Be sure to check with your benefits package through your employer as some plans cover a certain amount of counseling visits per year. If you are self-employed, you can look for what may be covered under your insurance.
Lately, I’ve been using an online therapist provider that offers free services based on my insurance. I’ve found this extremely helpful and convenient, especially during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
However, if talking about what is bothering you isn’t your style, what about writing it down? Many people find writing a poem or a song to be extremely cathartic.
Perhaps you are having a personal issue with someone. Another method is to write them a letter expressing your feelings. Get everything down and don’t worry about grammar or hurting their feelings.
The exercise is to simply vent as though they will read the letter, but you never actually give it to them. You can write out everything you need to say and then burn it afterward. Of course, depending on the scenario, you may want to deliver the letter. That will depend on your situation.
Keeping a journal on a daily or weekly basis is very beneficial for many people. This method also gives you the opportunity to reflect upon other entries and see how you dealt with similar issues in the past. It is a good way to keep track of what problem-solving methods seemed most effective. Expressing your emotions is a great way to relieve your stressful burden and feel better. There is strong proof that documenting your gratitude, even for the smallest things, is very beneficial for improving your personal outlook over time.
If you’re new to journaling check out my Mindfulness Journal available here. This is a great journal for beginners because it gives you short little prompts in the morning and at night. It doesn’t take more than 10 minutes to complete a day, but it can make how you spend your time and energy very useful.
If you’d like to learn more about journaling be sure to join the Facebook Group – A Pathway to Peace for other ways you can reduce stress through journaling.
Method 2: Taming Your Tension
Finding a positive way to release the tension from your system will help you let go of stress before it has a chance to chronically impact your cells, tissues, and muscles. You might do this by physically moving your body either through dance, yoga, workout classes, etc. This helps to take put any stressful energy into an activity and ultimately have your tension work for you in a positive outlet.
Another way might be simply spending time with people who make you laugh and feel good. Seriously, a good belly laugh can do some magical wonders in helping to make you feel like yourself again. I’ve practiced gibberish meditations which are so fun! Probably not the typical meditation you’ve thought of because these types of meditations really focus on being in the present moment and getting super silly.
In one part of the meditation, we did a forced laughter practice which initially felt weird and awkward. However, the more I got into it and the more I released my fears of acting “dumb” the more I had so much fun practicing this!
So not only does spending time around people or things that make you happy helps to reduce stress but so does spending LESS TIME with negative and irritating people. Especially, if you have ever considered yourself an HSP or highly sensitive person, other people’s energy can have a dramatic effect on your own! So, protect your own energy by setting healthy boundaries with challenging people. Watch how this can significantly shift your mood and energy.
And finally, other ways to tame your tension would be to simply find things that make you joyful or laugh. For example, when was the last time you read a joke book? Or what about watching a funny movie or TV show?
My partner gets on to me all the time about how I watch movies or shows that make me cry like the show “This Is Us” or the movie The Notebook. I’ve thought about this more and the reason why I watch shows like that is so I can have an outlet to cry and be sad and step out of my reality and into someone else’s. This would be the same for humor. Which in case you were wondering, I don’t only watch sad movies and shows. There are plenty of funny ones that I consume as well! It is really all about balance.
Sometimes, these small moments of joy are all that you need to clear your head and look at your stressful situation with a fresh pair of eyes.
Method 3: Find A New Hobby
Engaging in a new hobby can be a great way to relieve stress. By taking some time for yourself and learning a new skill you shift your energy into a more productive outlet. Also, by creating a new hobby you also may meet a new diverse group of people. By meeting and engaging with new people, your stress may decrease depending on your personality type.
Another excellent way to help you lower your stress is spending time with animals. This is probably one of my favorite ones. During the Pandemic, I got my first puppy, you can follow his Instagram at @CloudMoMoStrife.
He’s seriously been such a joy to be around. There were certainly stressful moments with him, but it is and always will be worth it for me.
He helps me to stay present by demanding my attention even when I may not feel like it. It’s kind of like going to the gym in the beginning. And one of those things that you may not think you have the time to do or energy to do, but once you do it you’re happy you did it. It’s similar. He also requires me to get outside and move my body to bring him out on walks. Not only has he given me his delightful self to be around, but also has connected me with a much wider community. The Dog & Dog Lovers Community!
Finally, another great way to relieve stress is to spend time in nature. That can be as simple as a walk in the neighborhood or maybe a monthly long camping/hiking adventure. I’ll probably stick to day-hikes and walks in the neighborhood, but there is something special about being cut-off from technology and being surrounded by nature.
Here’s the Truth
Stress is something that is always going to be around at some point in our lives. It’s a natural experience. However, what is important is how you respond to your stress. If you can first try to express and acknowledge your stress, it is a thousand times easier to find ways to relieve or ease the discomfort in a way that works for you.
I’m curious, in what ways do you help to relieve this stress? Did you find this article helpful?
If you’re interested in learning more about effective stress remedies, be sure to check out the Facebook Group – A Pathway to Peace and follow me on my Instagram @yourmindfulbreath!
You can also grab my beginner-friendly mindfulness journal as a way to help you begin expressing your stress Click here.
