Woman sitting on the beach relaxing to reduce stress.

TACKLE STRESS WITH THESE 25 TIPS

Stress – known as the silent killer is something we have to deal with on a daily basis. Stress comes in so many forms. Whether you have financial stress, partner stress, family issues or you were even late for work – stress manages to show up in big and small ways.

It’s important to deal with stress right away so it doesn’t build up causing more serious issues. First, you’ve got to determine the types of stress you have so you can begin the process of ridding that type of stress or at least managing it. Some of the different types of stress are:

Physical – Injury, illness, sprains and strains are all forms of physical stress.
Emotional – Stress from relationships including spouse, partner, friends and family can all play a part in your emotional stress.
Mental – Mental stress, which can also add to emotional stress, can stem from work, mental abuse, personal disorders and more.
Electromagnetic – Electromagnetic stress is the type of stress that comes from exposure to things like phones, tablets and tv’s. This type of stress can cause sleep disorders, anxiety and more.

My suggestion is to make a list of all of the types of stress in your life and come up with ideas to help manage each type. To help you, here are 25 ways to combat stress that you can implement quickly.

25 WAYS TO FIGHT STRESS

1. Relax – Before anything else, calm yourself down. It’s important not to panic. Take a few deep breaths, sit down and assess the situation. Allow yourself to think and calm down. Go to your happy place. Think of a beautiful landscape. Anything to help you get control of your emotions. Getting a hold on our emotions can be as easy as recognizing that we are about to have a melt down and not letting ourselves go there.

2. Flood your brain with positivity – Stay positive. It’s easy to become negative and fall victim to a vicious cycle of unhappy thoughts. In order to stay out of that mindset, you’ve got to feed your mind with positive thoughts. You can read spiritual texts, motivational books, or inspiring quotes. You may also listen to positive tapes or upbeat music.

3. Remember the good things – Focus on the good and be grateful for what is going right. Remember the good things in your life. Remember the good people around you or the fact that you are able to breathe and move around. Make a Blessings Chart and list all the wonderful things you are thankful for.

4. Look at the big picture – Is it really that bad? An event that seems bad right now might not seem that bad if you look at the big picture. Put the event in context. Can you change it? If yes, then take action. If not, then let go of trying to control it.

5. Believe that everything will be all right – The power of positivity! What you believe has a big effect on you. If you believe that things will go wrong, that will usually be the case. On the other hand, if you believe that everything will be all right, you will have a winning attitude and better able to cope with what is stressing you out.

6. Move your body – When you’re depressed, take time to exercise. Exercise relieves the symptoms of depression and anxiety. Take a walk out in nature, do some kickboxing or other cardio workout according to what is safe for you. Make sure to listen to your body and give it the proper nutrients afterward to promote healing. You’ll want the right mixture of protein, fat and carbs.

7. Let it go and forgive if needed – Sometimes the reason you feel stressed is because you aren’t forgiving someone who hurt you, or perhaps you had made mistakes and you are not forgiving yourself. The act of forgiveness releases us from the stress of being overburdened with anger or worry.

8. Take action – Things won’t get better if you just sit and do nothing. Instead of thinking about how bad things are, think of what you can do to solve the problem and take action. Come up with a plan. Identify your triggers and practice recognizing and stopping them.

9. Say something positive – Negative words have devastating effect on our confidence and motivation. So whenever you’re about to say something negative, stop yourself and take a deep breath. Re-frame what you were going to say and make it positive. A positive outlook can make stress seem like a challenge to defy.

10. Think about other people – One of the best ways to make yourself feel better is simply by taking the focus away from yourself. Start thinking about other people and how you can help them, then put your plan into action. When you do that, your problems will no longer seem so hard to face and overcome.

11. Reduce Caffeine Intake – Consuming caffeine too late in the day can affect sleep quality, which impacts stress levels. Consuming too much caffeine in general can make you more emotionally reactive to stress. Learn how much caffeine is too much.

12. Learn to communicate – Relationships can be great stress relievers. Knowing how to keep your relationships healthy through effective communication is one of the best investments of time and energy for stress relief. Talking with family, friends, a pastor, or a good counselor can be a great for relieving stress. Sometimes we just need to let someone else know what is going on inside. As a certified Health Coach, I know how important this step is. Just having a safe environment to get in touch with emotions we want to deny is a game changer.

13. Listen To Music – Finding a music therapist isn’t the only way music can help as a stress reliever. You can become your own. Create playlists for various moods: a therapeutic mix for when you want to process feelings, an upbeat mix for when you need more energy, a softer mix when you are nostalgic, an angry mix when you need to release emotions, etc.. This is an easy and enjoyable way to help you to relieve stress.

14. Eat a Balanced Diet – A poor diet can bring greater reactivity toward stress. A healthy diet can bring greater physical and emotional wellness. Find some simple go-to meals and snacks, and feel less stressed in your daily life. Start by limiting or cutting out sugar and processed foods and increasing water, vegetables, and healthy fats like avocados.

15. Laughter – The physical act of laughing releases tension and brings positive physiological changes. Finding ways to work more laughter into your day can be an effective route to stress relief. After all, it is the best medicine.

16. PMR – We love using PMR in retreat stretch sessions. This is a great way to relax – and you can do it anywhere. Progressive muscle relaxation, or PMR, is a technique that allows you to relax all of the muscles in your body, group by group. Usually you start with concentrating on relaxing your head first and going down the body to your feet. Beginning sessions take several minutes, and allow you to feel physically and emotionally relaxed when done. With practice, you can achieve full-body relaxation within seconds.

17. Breathing – Breathing exercises provide convenient and simple stress relief in that they can be used anytime, anywhere, and they work quickly. One exercise that is quick and easy to learn is the 4-7-8 method developed by Dr. Andrew Weil. Simply breath in through your nose for a count of 4, allowing the breath to go into your belly. Hold for a count of 7 and then exhale trough your mouth for 8 seconds making sure all air gets expelled. Repeat 3 times.

18. Plant a Garden – Getting outside and enjoying the scenery is just one of the ways that gardening can contribute to stress relief. Whether it be vegetables or flowers, getting in the dirt grounds us to the earth and helps remove excess static from our bodies.

19. Start a Journal – Do you have things that keep rolling around in your head? Write it down. Pour out your feelings on paper. This can help you find the triggers to your stress and help you deal with it.

20. Engage in a hobby – Do something you enjoy that can take your mind off of the current situation and take a step back. You could read, garden, cook, knit or crochet, scrap book, play with and take your pet for a walk, volunteer to help someone, painting, sculpture, color or anything else that you like to do. Go for a hike, a boat ride or walk through the park and enjoy nature.

21. Occupy your brain with a game – Crossword puzzles, word searches, puzzles and other solitary games are a good place to start. Play games with others, like Life or Monopoly, Dominoes, or other games. Go play some racquetball, tennis or golf. Get out there and play football, volleyball, or other physical activities. You could even race against your best time around the block or arrange flowers. Get a used Wii or other gaming system that allows you to use your body to play games.

22. Go have some fun! – Do something fun. Leisure activities can be a great way to de-stress. What do you like to do? Make time every week to allow yourself some fun.

23. Massage therapy – Yes, please! Of course, we all know how relaxing a good massage can be. But the benefits of a therapeutic massage are greater than any old massage. Find a good therapist in your area. I am lucky enough to have a wonderful massage therapist who really takes her time and gets to the heart of the problem.

24. Take high quality supplements to reduce stress – Without the proper nutrients our bodies won’t be able to fight or recover from constant stress. Eating a well balanced diet is key when you can accomplish it. If you feel you are not able to get enough nutrients from your food, a multivitamin pack with your daily needs is a good place to start. Make sure you are getting all the B vitamins, vitamin c, vitamin d3, calcium and antioxidants to help your body fight the effects of stress and be better equipped to deal with it.

25. Remove yourself from your environment – Sometimes this means taking a simple walk to cool off and breathe. This can also mean taking a weekend away or even a week long vacation. Removing yourself from your environment can do a world of good – allowing you to think clearly, process your stress and figure out how to approach the situation. Where is your favorite place? The beach, the mountains, a quiet park or even the countryside – where ever it is, go to your happy place.

IMPLEMENT YOUR PLAN TO GET RID OF STRESS

Identify the types of stress impacting your life.
Choose the actions you can take to either remove that stress from your life or at least manage it.
Focus on you and your own health.
Get help if you need it.

You’ve got this! Just make sure to choose the ways to manage stress that truly work for you and your lifestyle. Take care of your self mentally and physically. You can’t be your best for anyone else if you’re not your best self from the inside out.

I hope you liked this blog post. Please make sure to leave any questions or comments in the comment section below.

Health & Wellness Coaching
If you need personalized guidance or motivation with lifestyle, nutrition or fitness, check out our Health & Wellness Coaching. It’s offered online via Skype and FaceTime or in person at the fitness retreat. Best In Health & Wellness, - Margot + The Vita Vie Retreat Team

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