A recent study has proven that stress is a killer. That study was unnecessary because doctors
have known that stress isn’t healthy for more than five decades. Money problems, relationship issues and
issues in the work place all cause stress.
While you can’t always avoid stress, you can take a number of steps that
will help you deal with it a lot better and maybe even eliminate from your life
entirely.
One of the best things you can do right now is to make a
list of all the things that are causing stress in your life now. Writing a list is incredibly helpful because
by looking at the things that upset you, or stress you out, you can begin to avoid
unnecessary people and places that are the causes of some of your stress.
When you finish the list take a look at whether or not there
are ways to avoid them. For example, if
going to a certain store causes you stress because of the employees or a bad
experience, you can begin to avoid that store.
You should also begin to avoid people that cause you stress even if they
are your relatives.
Stress Can Affect Your Attitude and Behavior
Stress affects the way you think and act, and it can even
damage your body, so it’s something you should take seriously. Key things that can help you avoid stress include
learning to manage your time by setting a better schedule, finding more time to
relax, and cutting out some unnecessary stressful activities.
Some of the short term effects of stress on your body
include:
- A faster heartbeat
- Headaches
- Stiff muscles and shoulders
- Back pain
- Faster breathing
- Sweating
- Upset stomach and nausea
- Diarrhea
The list above doesn’t include the mental effects of
stress. Stress can change the way you
think about situations and other people, and it can make you angry for no
reason at all. It can also make it
harder for you to concentrate at work or at simple tasks at home such as
cooking.
The longer you carry excess stress, the worse the effects
become. In fact, long term stress can
compromise the immune system and make it harder to stay healthy. Stress can be very harmful to your heart,
causing high blood pressure and an abnormal heartbeat as well as blood
clots.
Ulcers and other stomach problems can be caused or made
worse by stress. This is only a short list of the effects stress can have on
your body.
Exercises You Can Perform Every Day to Lessen Stress
So, now that you know what can happen if you don't deal with
your stress, how do you deal with it? There
are a number of ways you can deal with stress.
Listed below you’ll find the best methods for dealing with stress you
can begin using today. This list was
compiled by WebMD:
A Few Exercises to Help You Deal with Every Day Stress
Breathe Deeply
Take a 5-minute break and focus on your breathing. Sit up
straight, eyes closed, with a hand on your belly. Slowly inhale through your
nose, feeling the breath start in your abdomen and work its way to the top of
your head. Reverse the process as you exhale through your mouth.
“Deep breathing counters the effects of stress by slowing
the heart rate and lowering blood pressure,” psychologist Judith Tutin, PhD,
says. She's a certified life coach in Rome, GA.
Be Present
Slow down. “Take 5
minutes and focus on only one behavior with awareness,” Tutin says. Notice how
the air feels on your face when you’re walking and how your feet feel hitting
the ground. Enjoy the texture and taste of each bite of food.
When you spend time in the moment and focus on your senses,
you should feel less tense.
Reach Out
Your social network is one of your best tools for handling
stress. Talk to others -- preferably face to face, or at least on the phone.
Share what's going on. You can get a fresh perspective while keeping your connection
strong.
Tune In to Your Body
Mentally scan your body to get a sense of how stress affects
it each day. Lie on your back, or sit with your feet on the floor. Start at
your toes and work your way up to your scalp, noticing how your body feels.
“Simply be aware of places you feel tight or loose without
trying to change anything,” Tutin says. For 1 to 2 minutes, imagine each deep
breath flowing to that body part. Repeat this process as you move your focus up
your body, paying close attention to sensations you feel in each body part.
Thanks for reading my Trying to Change My Life blog. Please post a comment to
let us know how you deal with stress in your life. If you have something that works very well on
stress, we’d love to hear about it.
