10 Healthy Ideas To Handle Everyday Stress

Stress is a global problem. Nothing about it is good. Even the statistics are scary. The American Institute Of Stress lists some statistics that indicate stress levels are getting worse with Americans. According to the institute, statistics point out that:

• 73% of people feel stress impacts their mental health.
• 48% can’t sleep because of stress
• 77% feel that stress has a telling impact on their physical health.

The Global Organization for Stress also highlights that stress is the No.1 health concern for students. Additionally, a whopping 80% of the workforce feels stressed at work.
-We could go on listing a hundred more scary statistics about stress. But the big question is: What are we going to do about it?

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Decoding Stress, The Silent Killer

In simple terms, stress is a trigger- a biological response to threats and challenging life situations. When you face these circumstances, chemicals and hormones surge through your body and make you feel abnormal pressure. This pressure can be mental and physical with a cumulative effect as each stressor builds one on top of the other. You might feel too exhausted to take on anything else after this experience.

Anything can trigger stress. A small argument, an increased workload, an uncomfortable situation, a transitional period, and financial worries can induce stress. Sadly, stress has become a part of everyone’s lives. Even children feel stressed. Perhaps the only good thing about it is that you can control how you respond to these triggers. Experts say that you can effectively reduce the stressful moments in your life by making actionable changes in your everyday activities.

Here’s a list of ten healthy ways to handle stress in your everyday life.

Healthy Options To Beat Stress & Keep Yourself Happy

1. Weed out the stressors

Stress management starts by pinpointing the sources that contribute to stress and uprooting them for good. That said, there may be some major stressors like divorce, relocation, financial issues, and changing jobs. These stressors are easy to identify but hard to control or change.

What you can do, however, is to identify the minute stressors such as:

• Procrastination
• Work deadlines
• Habits
• Attitude
• Excuses

Once you’ve made this self-assessment, you can evaluate how to change the situation. Here’s what you can do:

• Take on responsibilities that are limited to your capabilities.
• Learn better time management to deal with procrastination.
• Relax your standards
• Ask for help
• Set realistic work goals

2. Avoid, Alter, Adapt & Accept

These 4 A’s are an effective mantra to deal with stress.

• Avoid: Some stressful situations are unavoidable. But you can avoid the stressors that make the situation worse.
• Alter: If you can’t avoid a stressful situation, try changing it by tactful thinking and communication.
• Adapt: Adapt to the situation and regain your control by changing your attitude and responses.
• Accept: Death, illness, national crises, and natural disasters are unavoidable. Better to accept them than respond in ways that exacerbate your stress.

3. Sweat out your stress

Exercising is an amazing way to cope with stress, improve your mood, and relax your body and mind. Even yoga and simple breathing techniques can provide much-needed relief in a stressful situation. Another great technique is mindfulness. Being mindful of your thoughts, feelings, and actions helps you manage difficult situations with wisdom. You can also get help with apps and tools that offer customized wellness routines for your benefit.

4. Connect with your inner self

Researchers have found that connecting with your spirituality can boost happiness during times of stress. There’s a reason religious groups and native tribes around the world have used prayer beads for centuries. Make your own set of prayer beads and immerse yourself in a mantra that resonates with your inner self.

5. Work smarter, not harder

Your work is important, but you don’t have to stress yourself. Prioritize your tasks, set a schedule and stick to it, and concentrate on the tasks that matter. Quit procrastinating because it will only add up to your last-minute tasks. Take little breaks during work and spend those moments only relaxing.

6. Find your purposeful routine

Turn your simple, everyday activities into a comfortable routine. Create a to-do list and tick off each activity as you complete them. This practice is key to maintaining a consistent schedule so that the routine itself doesn’t become a stressor.

7. Take up a hobby

There’s no dearth of hobbies in this world. It is the easiest way to escape and find sanctuary from a stressful situation. A hobby is your own little world where you can find an outlet to let go of all your stressful thoughts and feelings. You can divert your mind and harness all that pent-up energy into creating something beautiful and useful. And if you are good at it, you can even earn a bit. And what’s better than that?

8. Put pen to paper

One effective way to deal with stress is to write it all down. Transform your emotions into words. It will help you heal from the stress and trauma. And while you are at it, remember to list the positive things in your life. More often than not, this list will be longer than your list of stressors. It will make you feel grateful and restore the smile on your face.

9. Make some lifestyle changes

If you are continuously feeling stressed, perhaps it’s time to make some lifestyle changes for the better. Start your day early, burn those calories, and have a nourishing breakfast. Head out to work with a clear, positive mindset. Spend quality time with your family and friends. Prioritize sleep. Ensure that you have at least seven hours of good sleep. End your day on a positive note.

10. Socialise and connect

Don’t be a loner. It would be best if you had a good network of friends, colleagues, and family members who could ease your troubles. Find your confidante and your go-to person when you feel stressed. A good pep talk can put things in a different perspective and help you find solutions even in an impossible situation. You can also seek professional help from psychologists and mental health providers for effective stress management.

Hold On To Stress, But In A Good Way

Surprised we are saying this on an ending note? Its true that stress is a normal part of life, and not all of it is bad. Stress response is a survival mechanism. It helps you think on your feet and find solutions in difficult situations.

Unnecessary stress is what’s harmful to your health. It can impact your immunity, cognitive thinking, rationality, creativity, and productivity. And it’s infamous for the telling impact it has on your health. That’s precisely why we are stressing about stress management (pun unintended!)

REAN Foundation’s HealthGuru app can help you manage stress, reduce anxiety and develop resilience. Our mindfulness sessions will teach you stress management techniques to implement in your daily life. Swing by here to gather more details.