Combating Stress

By Phillis Carlyle


Eliminate depression by removing as much stress from your life as possible.

Here's some useful methods to combat stress:

- Search out a Support Group. if you have other people helping and supporting you, you'll be able to manage stress much easier. Did you know that married people and people who are outgoing (always meeting with friends), have considerably lower levels of stress in their lives?

- Express Amusement And Be Happy. Laugh hard and loud. If you don't have a sense of humor, find someone else who has. Laughter releases endorphins (happy chemicals) from the body, and it helps boost your immune system.

Do your tasks one thing at a time at a time. Focus your attention on the present moment, whether it's the person talking to you or the job at hand. This helps you to avoid making errors - which lead to more tension and anxiety. Be patient in waiting. Anxiety caused by impatience can rise up your blood pressure. Say "no" to requests that you cannot accomplish. Delegate trivial tasks. You must remember that you don't have to do it all yourself. Crack a job into separate tasks and assign them to people with the suitable skills.

Forgive others. Reduce your standards - for yourself and others. Don't expect too much. Perfectionism is not the way to find happiness. Become more adaptable to your environment.

Communicate clearly with your boss and co-workers. Ask questions. Clarify instructions at the start of a project, so you don't have to spend time later fixing misunderstandings. Be honest in your dealings with others. Lying and cheating leads to stress.

- Work Out Strive and get some habitual exercise such as brisk walking, swimming or whatever appeals to you. Play a sport you're interested in. Aerobic exercises can considerably reduce the stress factor. Work out also improves sleep and gives you time to think and focus on other things. It also promotes the release of natural soothing chemicals in your body. Do not result to excessive exercise, however, as this may have an adverse effect and might cause more depression.

Choose positive friends who are positive. Friends who continually put you down or talk gloomily about life will ruin your entire day. Invite your best friend over to help you talk out a problem and work out a solution. A long-distance call to an old pal can be great therapy.

Pardon others instead of holding grudges. Slow down your standards - for yourself and others. Don't expect much from them. Perfectionism is not the means to happiness. Become more flexible to your environment.

- Take Breaths Deeply and Slowly. Calm down your muscles, escalating your stomach and chest. Exhale slowly. Do it again several times. Follow your breath as it flows in and out. Do not try to have power over it. This is a good way to relax in the midst of any activity. This practice allows you to find a breathing pattern that is natural and relaxing to you. Make use of this yoga technique: Inhale slowly, counting to eight. Exhale through your mouth, even more slowly, counting to sixteen. Make a sighing sound as you exhale, and feel tension dissolve. Do it again 10 times.

Time management experts highlight the importance of writing down your important goals. Break big projects down into a series of small steps that you can work on every day. Want to change jobs? Contact one prospective employer today. Is writing a book your dream? Commit to writing one page a day. Inch by inch, slowly but surely, you will get to your ultimate destination. Knowing that you are striving toward your dreams relieves frustrations that mount when you feel stuck in a situation that seem to have no direction.

- Take Breaths Deeply and Slowly. Calm down your muscles, escalating your stomach and chest. Exhale slowly. Do it again several times. Follow your breath as it flows in and out. Do not try to have power over it. This practice allows you to find a breathing pattern that is natural and relaxing to you. Make use of this yoga technique: Inhale slowly, counting to eight. Exhale through your mouth, even more slowly, counting to sixteen. Make a sighing sound as you exhale, and feel tension dissolve. Do it again 10 times.

- Put Off Problems Earlier Than They Occur. This takes some preparation. If you are going to another city for an valuable meeting, carry your presentation materials and dress suit on board the plane. Acquire gas for the car before the tank is unfilled. Get usual oil changes and checkups. Keep food, medicine, and toiletries on hand so you never have to feel tensed when they run out.

- Live Optimistically. Count your blessings, particularly when everything seems to go wrong. Believe that many other people are living in worse conditions than you are. Don't exaggerate the complexity of your problems. Every problem has a solution. All you need to do is find that solution. Learn to be happy and to enjoy life's blessings. Live one day at a time.

- Enjoy The Good Things That Life Has to Offer. Grant yourself some physical pleasure and enjoyment to help your stress slip away. Indulge yourself to a professional massage, or trade massages with a loved one. Give yourself consent to enjoy a movie, watch a concert or sports event, listen to music, or read a book. Take pleasure in a soothing cup of chamomile herb tea with a little bit of honey. Chamomile has long been used to relieve nervous tension.

- Give yourself consent to enjoy a movie, watch a concert or sports event, listen to music, or read a book. Enjoy The Good Things That Life Has to Offer. Grant yourself some physical pleasure and enjoyment to help your stress slip away. Indulge yourself to a professional massage, or trade massages with a loved one. Take pleasure in a soothing cup of chamomile herb tea with a little bit of honey.

- Enjoy The Good Things That Life Has to Offer. Grant yourself some physical pleasure and enjoyment to help your stress slip away. Indulge yourself to a professional massage, or trade massages with a loved one. Give yourself consent to enjoy a movie, watch a concert or sports event, listen to music, or read a book. Take pleasure in a soothing cup of chamomile herb tea with a little bit of honey. Chamomile has long been used to relieve nervous tension.

Arrange a day of beauty with a friend. Do each other's hair, or paint your nails and chat. Make a simple steam facial at home by boiling water. Remove the pan from the stove. Cover your head with a large towel so that it creates a tent over the pot. Steam your face for five or 10 minutes. Add aromatic herbs to the water for a sensual touch. Center your attention on any of the senses - hearing, seeing, eating or body movements - for a few minutes. Even washing your hands can become a sensual experience.

- Move Away to Recharge Your Spirit. Make a schedule for a private time alone every day. You deserve it. Unplug the telephone and enjoy a quiet evening alone or with your family, or even 15 continuous minutes in the shower or bathtub. You may want to spend a few minutes writing your feelings out in a journal. It can help you find a new viewpoint in life and relieve internal conflicts.

More Tips to Recharge Your Spirit

Practice a meditation technique. Two methods: Observe your thoughts as they pass through your mind. Or, repeat a word or phrase with an uplifting meaning. Use progressive relaxation for 20 minutes twice a day to relive high blood pressure and other physiological responses to stress. Make tighter and release each muscle group in turn, starting with the soles of the feet and slowly working up to the scalp. Change of your usual routine. If your week is highly scheduled, enjoy and relax with friends in noncompetitive activities. If you are never able to finish anything during the week, choose a project that you can complete in in a short time on weekends. Have on earplugs for instant peace anytime, anyplace. Take time out for a little entertainment in the middle of your workday. When the pressures of completing a project are too great, your productivity can drop. Take a walk or eat lunch outside the office.

- Use Visualization and Affirmation Techniques. You can conquer a circumstance you fear by going over the event in your mind. Imagine the scene in clear detail and visualize the best possible result that may happen.

Replace negative self-talk with good thoughts. Don't let your mind be filled with gloom: You're too ugly. . . you're too old. . .you'll never achieve anything. And things like: What if I fail the exam? What if she doesn't like my gift? What if we get lost? These things haven't even occurred yet, and probably never will. Nourish your mind with a constant stream of "I can; therefore, I will."

- Get plenty of Sleep. Decide how much sleep you require for best possible performance. Lack of sleep reduces the body's ability to fight off stress and lowers the immune system.

- Get Sufficient Sleep. Settle on how much sleep you need to perform your best. Lack of sleep lowers the immune system and reduces the body's ability to fight stress.

- Don't Be Self-Centered. Today's society forces us to build up as much accomplishments as we can, while trying to balance our own personal/family lives. There's just not enough time to do all these things. Begin with the most important task, and do the rest one at a time until everything is done.

Keep the Faith and Never Stop Believing. Dale Gustafson




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