Stress. Just hearing the word causes one’s blood pressure to rise. According to the American Institute of Stress, it’s the #1 health problem in the country. Yet, for some reason, we tend to let it rule our lives. But why should we let this nasty hang around?
Think about it. If you had a friend who continuously increased your heart rate, had you feeling anxious and caused you many sleepless nights, you would give them the boot, right? So why on earth do we let stress hang around when it does all of those things? Often there are solutions to our stress like a paycheck advance when money is tight, or tips to reduce your stress at work. This is the guide to manage all of life’s many issues.
Erasing Stress
Stress has become the nasty little friend that we can’t seem to get rid of. If you are a woman, you are three times more likely to report experiencing stress than your man.
What can you do if you want to say goodbye to stress? Well, unless you shut yourself off from the modern world, not much. There are, however, different ways you can deal with the stress that pops up in your life.
Home Sweet Stress
Stress in the home is a big trigger for many people. Depending on your lifestyle, there are many things which can be triggers such as
- screaming children,
- fighting parents,
- noisy neighbors, and
- no privacy
to only name a few.
Dealing with stress in the home can be tricky. Although situations can be short term, some can last longer, especially if a situation such as divorce or illness is introduced. Although caring for your family is probably your number #1 priority, it is important to take time out for yourself.
It could be anything, from a few minutes to an entire day. Catch up with a friend, read a book, or meditate. Do whatever your heart desires, and maybe later down the track your heart won’t palpitate from all the stress!
Working Is a Health Hazard
According to The National Institute for Occupational Safety
- 40% of workers surveyed reported that their job was very or extremely stressful
- 25% of workers surveyed viewed their jobs as the number one stressor in their lives
- 26% of workers surveyed said they were “often or very often burned out or stressed by their work”
For many, work related stress is created from being a ‘yes’ person. These are the lovely people who take on any task shoved at them. The only problem for them is that, even though this may look favorable to bosses, the added and unnecessary workload creates pressure and, ultimately, stress. If this sounds like you, then it’s time you start saying no.
Although doing anything and everything asked of you may do your career good, what good is a career if you don’t have your health? Pace yourself and only take on as much as you can handle and that is within your job description.
Stress Is a Part of Life
Stress is a significant contributor to illness and disease. Trauma experienced at a young age can continue to cause problems throughout a person’s life. The stress of such traumatic incidents as abuse, an accident, or even a major illness such as Leukemia can continue to have ramifications into adulthood.
Counseling can help keep stress from childhood trauma under control. It can be through a professional therapy session or just a casual chat with a family member or friend. Bottling emotions up inside will only feed the stress monster, so share the load and it will lighten a little. If you’re feeling stressed and don’t have anyone to talk to, write it down in a journal.
Take Some Advice from Country Folk
Scientists have recently found that those living in cities experience higher levels of stress than those who live in the country. Sounds contradictory, doesn’t it? Of those who participated in the study, it was found that those who lived in cities have weaker coping mechanisms for stressful situations than those who did not live in cities.
Surely those who live in bustling cities would be more adapted to stressful situations because they would be surrounded by them every day. According to the scientists, not so! A country reprieve allows the mind and body to recuperate and gather its thoughts, so to speak. If you live in a city, the chaos does not allow you to do this.
If you live in a bustling city, take a day trip on the weekend to escape the rat race for a few hours. If you live near a coastline, visit a beach. If not, find a quiet park to enjoy some time with family or friends, or just to meditate!
Money Can’t Buy You Love…
But it can buy you stress! Many people list finances as a major stressor in their lives. Whether it be too little or too much (yes that’s right, some people stress because they have too much money), the financial burden can be agonizing. In the current economic environment, some of the leading causes of stress include:
- job loss,
- mortgage foreclosure,
- debt and
- bankruptcy
If you suddenly find yourself in a stressful financial situation, ways of bringing in some extra cash include:
- having a clean out and a yard sale
- selling home made goods to neighbors
- doing odd jobs for people, such as lawn mowing or dog walking
- renting out a spare room or car space
- getting a payday advance
The Body Remembers
Old habits die hard. For many, when a stressful situation emerges, they run for comfort food. This will only end up making the situation (and your health) worse. If you are feeling stressed, skip the cookies and go for a walk, a run, or turn up the music and dance around your bedroom.
Bad habits we have developed as children to deal with stress follow us into our adult lives. The more you reinforce these bad habits, the stronger they become. Taking the first step to healthier stress management is hard, but every step gets easier.
The more steps you take, the more your body will remember to think of activity instead of food in a stressful situation. Your health (and your waistline) will thank you later!
CONCLUSION:
If all else fails, laugh at yourself! Laughter and the act of smiling increases the production of endorphins in the brain. They’re what will get you feeling good when you’re feeling stressed.
Watch a funny movie or just joke around with your friends. It will not only help to relieve all of your stress, it will improve your health and make you feel better. And anyway, If you can’t laugh at yourself, who can you laugh at?