Coping With Stress

Don't let stress make you "stressed"

Stress is something that the majority of us face at some time in our lives, and it can come in different strengths and flavours.

And many of us are much better able to deal with stresses and strains, whilst for others it can cause serious problems including affecting our health in an adverse fashion.

Despite the connotations of stress normally being bad for us and having a negative impact, recent research has suggested that low-level stresses can be good for us as they can help to keep us focussed and driven towards our goals and stop us from twiddling our thumbs.

However, as soon as stress starts to have us worrying and gets the adrenalin flow it usually has crossed the boundary and becomes a concern for us. Whether the stress is related to work, health, family, friends, money or anything whatsoever - or even worse a combination of several factors - coping with stress can be difficult.

One of the problems with stress in particular is that a vicious circle can be created. The body needs sleep to function properly and to deal with daily life, but one of the symptoms of stress can be insomnia due to worrying and the inability to switch off - this in turn makes us more tired and less able to cope with stress the following day and so on and so on.

So what strategies can be used to help cope with stress and stressful situations?

One thing you can do to get immediate relief from stress is to exercise. Research has shown that exercise releases endorphins which make us feel good about ourselves and more relaxed, and also being physically fit can help us overcome mental challenges. Therefore fit time to exercise into your schedule every couple of days whether you think you have the time for it or not (particularly if time issues are causing you the stress). You will find the exercise is well worth it as you can think more clearly and concentrate harder after exercise.

Positive reinforcement and backing of your own abilities can help you to combat stress. By constantly reassuring yourself that you can do something, or overcome some problem, you should be able to give yourself a great chance of doing so. If you tell yourself you won't let stress conquer you, chances are that it won't.

Also having some quiet time can help relieve stress - just lying down on the bed with your eyes shut for five minutes and breathing deeply and relaxing your shoulders and whole body. Perhaps a nice quiet bath with scented candles or music is also relaxing. Be sure to give yourself some quiet time to wind down each and every day particularly if the day was fraught and busy.

Finally, remember that planning and organisation can help you to overcome stress. Stress is often caused by us feeling lack of control over a situation. Therefore plan and organise what needs to be done in as much detail as you can. This will give you a clearer understanding of what is to be done and when, and increase your feeling of control and knowledge of a situation. This too can be very useful in helping to overcome stress.

Coping With Stress

Author: Stephanie

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Last Updated: Sep 20th 2006

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