Dealing with Stress by Using Stress Management Techniques
Today’s world is one that has many stressors in it, from the job that people go to every day, to paying unexpected bills, to dealing with family stressors, and even the stress of going to school. Each of these activities requires that individual to interact with other people and handle multiple situations during the course of every day that can be stressful and cause the individual to ‘break down,’ feeling like he or she cannot take anything else that might come his or her way.
De-stressing Tips
Fortunately there have been many studies recently into how various people handle stress and what techniques have been helpful to them. These stress management techniques are mostly very simple changes to thinking and lifestyle that can help individuals manage the stress that comes their way so that they can more fully enjoy their lives.
The first few stress management techniques have to do with a person’s lifestyle. When individuals are busy, one of the first things to go is getting enough sleep in the night. This is actually one of the worst decisions that a person can make. During the deep sleep patterns in the night is when the muscles rebuild themselves and the brain has time to decompress after a long day, subconsciously dealing with things that were not handled in the daytime, allowing relaxation. When that deep sleep is not achieved, or is not given enough time in the night, the person ends up feeling exhausted in the morning, tense and achy, and more irritable than the day before. As such, getting enough sleep at night is one of the best stress management techniques a person can use.
Another stress management technique that individuals can use during the course of a hectic day is to stop and count to ten, breathing deeply when they do so. Not only does this give individuals a break from the action, usually pulling themselves to a quiet corner for a moment, but by breathing deeply, it helps to rid the body of old oxygen which tends to be held in when a person is tense, and re-oxygenate that bloodstream, going to all parts of the body and helping to make the person feel refreshed. Another great stress management technique is to take time to focus on the good things during the day rather than focusing purely on the bad. Noticing a beautiful sunrise on the way to work, smelling the flowers on the break room table, or taking the time to take a deep breath all help to make the day more enjoyable. In addition, taking time to complement someone else or to do something nice to brighten someone’s day is also a sure stress management technique because it takes the person’s mind off himself for a moment.