Self-Improvement For Stress Management

Stress is a part of our daily life whether we like it or not. No matter how we try to get rid of it, it will always come back and haunt you every single day of your life. Stress can be expected as you go through your daily routine, or just suddenly come as a result of one issue or the other. 

Problems, big or small, can affect us emotionally, mentally and physically. Even if we keep smiling on the outside, stress usually troubles us from within. Leaving us in doubt, desperate, anxious, or even irritable if it gets out of control. The best way to deal with stress is to not let it get a hold in your life. You should control it before it even begins to grow and how well you succeed depends on you.

Body Self-Improvement Techniques

Taking care of your body is the initial step to self-improvement. We should be sensitive to what our body needs by knowing how stress affects us physically and how to adapt to it. Here are some techniques that you can use to improve your body and getting stress out of your system.

1. Give Your Body a Break. 

It is very important to know the limits of our body especially when it comes to dealing with stress. Our body can do so much and will deteriorate rapidly when we exceed our capacity. If you feel some aches and pains while working, then you better take some time off and relax before it turns to something serious.

2. Relax and Enjoy. 

To help your body relieve stress, you need to engage in some activities that will push it along the road to recovery. A massage is perfect for energizing your body while getting rid of those tight muscles that will eventually lead to pain and limit your body flexibility. Pamper yourself by visiting a health therapist at least once week, a few hours with professional hands can do wonders.

3. Exercise and Sweat It Out. 
Indulging in physical exercise is a great way to get rid of stress while keeping your body in top shape. Not many can allocate the time and effort for a physical exercise, but if you really want a stress free life then you better accommodate exercise into your daily activity. Daily 1 hour exercise can do wonders to your cardiovascular functions and keep your heart in proper working order.

Self-Improvement For a Stress Free Life

The tips above borders on the physical side of releasing stress, but your mind is still vulnerable to stress attacks. Physical exercise can provide an outlet for emotional problems like anxiety, fear and depression. But your mind is something else.

Before you can dispel any stress from your life, you need to improve your coping mechanism first, and it all starts in your mind. Even if we feel the physical and emotional backlash of the problems  we face, it will always start with how you think and how you devise ways in dealing with it.

Before you can apply the tips above, you have to condition your mind by focusing on the need to improve yourself in getting rid of stress.

Stress: Inevitable But Treatable

 

Lifestyle nowadays is very stressful. Stress nowadays is not only overwhelming but has posed a serious effect on people’s health. Almost everyone knows how it feels like to be stressed, stomachaches, headaches, and sweaty palms are all symptoms of this condition. These are normal body reactions to threats, changes in routines, or challenges. Chronic or prolonged stress caused by work, relationship problems, or financial concerns may hamper emotional balance and increase the risk of chronic illness. Ongoing stress may increase the chances of developing certain ailments. In addition, chronic stress may weaken the immune system and make it more susceptible to many forms of infections. Stress however, is an inevitable part of life and may cause one to be physically and emotionally drained. 

Here are additional signs that indicate that one might be stressed out:

- Feeling down, edgy, tired

- Laughing or crying without any cause or reason

- Blaming others for bad things that happened

- Wanting to be alone at all times /withdrawal

- Not being able to see the positive side of certain situations

- Not enjoying activities that he or she used to enjoy

- Getting angry at people or activities

- Feelings like he or she has too many things to do

Many stressed individuals try to self-medicate to get rid of stress. Some engage in other activities. However, most of them use the wrong method for stress relief. They tend to overeat, drink too much alcohol or coffee, or use illegal drugs. These habits may bring temporary relief but fail to alleviate stress in any meaningful way. In the long run individuals who engage in these activities only heighten physical and emotional stress.

Exercise and nutritious diets have been proved to be safe and effective ways to improve mental and physical health. Many medical studies point out that exercise, especially aerobic exercise like jogging, brisk walking, and jumping rope as one of the best methods for stress relief. This is possible because these activities promote the production of endogenous morphines or endorphins. These are substances produced by the brain that work as the body's natural pain-killers. It is said that endorphins are capable of elevating one's mood, self-esteem, and mental functioning. 

Exercise should be done properly and in moderation to achieve health improvements and wellness. Strength training like push-ups,  pull-ups, etc  coupled with 30 minutes of jogging or brisk walking can keep your body toned and improve metabolism. These regimens can be done with little or no equipment at all. Many health experts claim that the key to improved health is not intensity or using sophisticated equipments but continuous physical activity. Exercising properly can make one feel better, have more energy, and become less prone to stress. Before engaging in physical activities and making adjustments in food regimens, individuals are encouraged to seek the advice of health experts. They may prepare a workout routine that is recommended for individuals based on their specific health conditions and fitness goals and levels.

If exercise and diet adjustments do not work, stressed individuals may use medications for stress relief. However, before taking any medication they should consult a doctor to clarify drug interactions and side effects that may occur while under medication. Understanding stress is essential for treatment and improvements in one's health.

Reducing Stress Through Time Management

One of the common causes of stress is not being organized. Time management is the key to organize your work both at home and at the workplace, thus reducing the tendency of your being stressed up.  Prioritizing the most important job and writing down your duties and activities everyday is a better way to manage your time.

Keeping a diary, where you can list down your duties and objectives, can help you assess which duty must be done first and the estimated time you can accomplish each activity.

Scheduling And Listing

If you feel you are going to have another busy day either at home or at work, always write down your tasks. Indicating which task comes first and at what time it will done and following it strictly will allow you time to perform your other task. You must learn to prioritize to successfully beat stress.

On a daily basis pick the most important task and finish it first. Never put too many things in your list, this way, you are more likely to accomplish all your tasks for the day, this in turn will provide you the feeling of accomplishment and greater sense of control. 

Learn to delegate some of your tasks to co- works and family members especially when you have too many task to accomplish and little time to do so. By delegating, you can avoid stress from building up.

In the workplace, learn to say no especially when you find yourself in a situation where you cannot handle anymore task than you already have. Learn to ascertain your capabilities so as not to end up being stressed up.

  

Remember that you need time to rest and relax so that you can come back refreshed and revitalized. Include in your list work breaks and as much as possible things that would physically and mentally take you away from work. 

Finally, try not to make major decisions when you feel overworked or anxious  as they may be regrettable latter .

WAYS EXERCISE HELP IN STRESS RELIEF

It is no longer news that the health consciousness of our society today has led to increased focus on the health benefits of exercise. There are so many ways exercise is beneficial to man and stress relief is one of them. Regular physical exercise is a very effective way of relieving stress. These are some of the ways exercise help in stress relief:-

PRODUCTION OF ENDORPHINS 

 Endorphins are the brains feel-good neurotransmitters. Exercise enhances the production of endorphins thereby helping to give your mood a natural boost.

AS A DISTRACTION 

 Engaging in regular exercise or any form of sports helps take your concentration away from what is causing you stress. You will focus on the very activity you are engaged in thereby helping you to forget about the day’s ups and downs.

AS A MEANS TO SOCIALIZE 

 Exercise and most physical activities often involve others which makes it an avenue to socialize. This gives you a double benefit of exercising and having fun all together. Apart from making you feel better, working out with others gives you a lot of motivation to work harder without feeling the stress of hard work.

RELAXATION

Exercise helps in the reduction of skeletal muscle tension thereby helping you to feel more relaxed. It energizes, motivate you and improve your mood to deal with the days challenges. It also helps you get sound sleep which is another way of to relieve stress.

Exercise is a very great way of stress relief as it helps you relax well and provide a kind of diversion from your source of stress. It also helps raise your energy level, boost your self esteem as well as boosting your immune system and general well being. Fitting exercise into your day can be a way to deal with future stress.

REDUCING WORK PLACE STRESS

Wherever you earn your living, whether in an office, a factory or a private business place, there is always stress associated with the place. Too much stress is bad and can make a person irrational and can even kill. However there things one can do that will help reduce and cope with work place stress. These tips will be helpful.

First take a look at your habits to find out behaviors that may be contributing to stress and then take necessary action to improve on those behaviors.

DON’T EXPECT PERFECTION 
By putting unrealistic pressure on yourself or others to be perfect in their jobs, you are guaranteeing yourself stress. You should always bear in mind that nobody is completely perfect and there is always room for improvement.

STOP CRITICIZING YOURSELF 
If at you want to criticize yourself it has to be a constructive criticism. Being positive about your work and accomplishments and acknowledging the contributions of others is better.

EFFECTIVE TIME MANAGEMENT 
This is very important to avoid extra work load. If you are always running late to work, forgetting things always, don’t have a work schedule, you are bound to have work place stress which can even extend to home and any other place. Getting an alarm and having a work schedule will be of great help.

YOUR WELL BEING IS IMPORTANT  
Whenever you find yourself in a situation that causes your temper to rise and frustration setting in, it is better you walk away from the situation at that point in time. Spend some time to calm yourself down and then return to the situation with an open mind and a clear head.

WORRY DOES NOT SOLVE PROBLEMS 
 Realize that there are some things that are not worth worrying about and there some things you can’t change no matter how long you worry or how hard you try. Don’t waste your time stressing over the things in any of these categories.

EXERCISE IS VERY IMPORTANT 
 Making exercise a part of your daily schedule in the office is very important as this will help take your focus away from any stress causing situation. Getting your circulation moving and stretching the muscles will help you relax and be more comfortable. Exercise enhances the production of the brains feel-good neurotransmitters called endorphins that makes you feel good and better.

Stress is experienced every day by different people at different levels. However seeing stress as a normal daily routine will help you get over it faster and better.