It’s natural for humans to feel stressed. After all, it’s an integral part of the human experience. Stress helps us push through our limits and break out of the shackles we’ve chained ourselves within the all-too-familiar comfort zone. Although a certain amount is useful, even necessary, for our growth, too much stress is detrimental. Extreme stress leaves the person frozen in place, unable to be productive, or thinks clearly. It drains both the soul and body, which can ultimately result in more serious health conditions.
That’s why it’s crucial to know how you can relieve the stress before it cripples you. Here’s what you need to do to prevent the buildup of stress.
WORK IT OUT
Exercise is one of the best stress-relief options you can find. For starters, it gets your body moving. If you’re too stressed to the degree you can’t do any work or be productive, then exercise will get you moving. What feels like energy filling your body is, in fact, the effect of the adrenaline running through your veins following the exercise session. In the long run, exercise helps your body secrete endorphins: feel-good chemicals that make you naturally high. To achieve this effect, you’ll need to incorporate both cardiovascular training and resistance training into your routine. Make sure to stretch properly following each exercise session to keep your muscles and joints healthy.
FOCUS ON WHAT COULD GO RIGHT
As if life isn’t stressful enough, thinking about what could go wrong will only add to your stress. While feeling worried or anxious is normal, that doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do about it. It takes a lot of mental strength to change your thought patterns and recondition your mind to focus on the good aspects of life. Every time you find yourself trapped in a negative and destructive thought pattern, take the time to breathe and think rationally about what’s stressing you. If there’s something you can do about it, then take action. If it’s out of your control and you can’t change it, then learn to accept the situation while thinking about how you can make the most out of it.
HAVE A STRESS-RELIEF KIT AT YOUR DISPOSAL
Sometimes, taking the time to exercise and meditate on a hectic day can feel impossible, especially if you get a panic attack in the middle of work or a social gathering. For these challenging times, having a stress-relief kit at your disposal can prove to be life-saving. Stress-relief kits can be designed to your taste, so be sure to check them out to get an idea of what they can include. For instance, you can add a few essential oils that aid relaxation, such as lavender oil. You can also add a few bars of chocolate to give you a dose of much-needed serotonin or prepare a healthy snack to breathe life back into you.
MEDITATE
No one can be positive at all times. Even those with the strongest mentalities will eventually break down if the stress is consistent and overwhelming. So how can you maintain your peace of mind, even when things aren’t going your way? You condition your mind to be peaceful. One of the best ways you can do that is to practice mindful meditation. Mindfulness helps you focus on what really matters so that everyday stressors won’t affect your mental stability as much as they’d normally do, while meditation helps you cultivate your mindfulness through clearing your mind and utilizing breathing techniques.
BALANCE WORK AND PERSONAL LIFE
Being productive at work is great and all, but it’s counterproductive to give your all to your professional life at the expense of your personal life. Countless studies have shown how overworking yourself is a sure-fire recipe for crashing sooner rather than later. If it’s the productivity you’re really looking for, then you have to make sure you’re healthy enough to keep being productive for the long run. Remember to take a vacation every few months, never work on the weekends, and designate a few hours each day for work and stick to them.
While feeling stressed is a normal part of being an adult, becoming overstressed will only consume every aspect of your life. There’s no such thing as there’s nothing you can do about the stress. If the stress you’re feeling has been building for a long time, then it’s time you take an objective look at your life and make a healthy change. Simple changes like adding exercise and meditation to your hectic schedules will go a long way in relieving your stress.
