Sometimes we can feel that modern life is stressful and there is nothing that we can do to change it. However, there are some small and large changes that you can do which will reduce your stress levels and many even eliminate it altogether. If you think that this is impossible then read on!
Stress can come from many directions with the most common probably being:
- Family
- Money
- Work
Stress does not actually refer to a situation we are in but how we react to it. If we can change our attitude to things, then we can reduce our stress levels without making life changes. However, it may be wise to make changes to things which are causing stress as well. There are a number of stages you need to follow to reduce stress.
Identify Causes
It is important to start by identifying the causes of your stress. This may be a lot easier for some people than others. It is wise to spend a few days or even up to a week, noting down situations which make you feel stressed. It does not matter how silly they may seem, note them down anyway. We all get stressed by different things and you should never think that you are silly if a situation stresses you and not others as it is important to you to identify it so you can work on fixing it. You will then know what you have to work on and be more aware of when you are getting stressed and how often.
Deal with Causes
There may be some causes of stress that you will be able to deal with fairly easily. For example if you driving to work stressful then it might be possible for you to take a train instead. Some serious stressors, such as work may seem impossible to change, but perhaps finding a new job, moving departments or even just moving desks may be enough to help. However, some situations are not easy to solve such as worrying generally about your children, for example. In these cases the situation will not go away and so you will need to find a technique with dealing with the stress.
Change Attitude
In order to reduce stress levels you will need to change your attitude towards the cause. There are lots of things that you can do which will help with this. Some are more general life changes and others are more specific to the problem that is causing the stress.
Avoid negativity as much as you can. So anything that makes you feel negative, such as watching the news, talking to negative people, reading the newspapers, try to avoid. This could be difficult if this is something you do regularly but if you can avoid this sort of thing, you will feel generally happier.
Be more positive towards situations by looking for the good things. Try to see a silver lining in every situation so that you have a much more positive outlook towards life.
Find a relaxation technique that works well for you. Even if it is just deep breathing, slow counting or exercising it will make a big difference. Try lots of things to see which is best for you.
Be determined to change and to make the effort necessary to do so. This could mean committing to a weekly yoga class, relaxing every day, swearing less and forcing yourself to remain calm in all situations.
Seek Professional Help
If the stress is getting so bad that you feel you are unable to cope of that the solutions mentioned would not help, it can be worth considering getting professional help. It is worth thinking about whether counselling could help you or whether you need to visit your GP to find out whether they can put you in touch with a health professional that can help. It may be that you need more help than you can get just from making a few changes.
Hopefully by looking at what stresses you, seeing what you can change and learning techniques to cope with the rest you should feel a lot better. These days there is pressure to work hard in the home and outside the home and everyone seems to be busy. Try to challenge yourself not to be busy, find time to relax and be organised so that you can fit everything in and you should start to find things improving for you. Life should not be a competition, you need to look after yourself and if you are stressed then this will have a negative impact on your health. Therefore make sure that you keep yourself well by reducing your stress levels. Once you are less stressed, you will have more energy for those around you that need you, your family at home and your team at work and it should have a really positive outcome for everyone.
