Article by: Mahima Das | Edited by: Tista Banerjee | Illustrations: Nivedita Tripathi
"It's not the stress that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it." - Lou Holtz
Stress is an inevitable part of our lives. Chronic or long-term stress can lead one to several health problems. It can come from any event or thought that make us feel angry, frustrated or nervous. Effective stress management help us break the hold stress has on our life, so that we can be happier, healthier and more productive. The ultimate goal is a balanced life, with time for work, relationships, relaxation and fun- and the resilience to hold up under pressure and meet new challenges ahead.
How can we cope with stress in a regular basis?
Everyone of us irrespective of any differences experience stress. Stress can be positive
(eustress) or negative (distress). To learn healthy ways for coping stress and getting the right care and support is very important!
Some coping techniques are given below-
1. Physiological Coping Technique-
One of the most effective procedures is learning to reduce the tension in our own muscles through progressive relaxation. Relaxation procedures are effective in reducing emotional as well as physical tension. Meditation is also effective in achieving relaxed state. Regular vigorous exercise is another important technique for reducing stress.
2. Behavioural Coping Technique- We often overload our schedules with too many responsibilities and then we procrastinate which often adds up to stress. One method is time management: adhering to a well-planned schedule can help us make more efficient use of our time and eliminate behaviours that interfere with our main goals.
3. Cognitive coping technique- We don’t always have control over all the stressors in our lives. We can, however, gain some control over our cognitive reactions to them. The process of replacing negative appraisals of stressors with more positive ones is called cognitive restructuring (Meichenbaum,1977). To use this technique, we have to begin by monitoring what we have to say to ourselves during periods of stress. Social support is important- family, friends, or associates can often help us to “restructure” stressors (Bruhn & Phillips, 1987).
Daily life stress buster at home
Daily life stress and anxiety wearies us and we often become frustrated and also it’s not always possible to seek professional help so here are some tips we can use at home to relieve from stress -
1. Breathe- Deep inhalation and exhalation can help oxygenate our blood and thus clear our mind. Mindful meditation and breathing exercises are effective ways of relieving stress.
2. Take a walk -A brisk short walk can ease our stress and lift up our mood immediately. The fresh air we get make us feel so much better and also reduces stress.
3. Laugh out loud- A good loud laugh is good for our heart and it is often seen to reduce stress causing hormones and when we are laughing, we are actually in the moment and we are enjoying so it keep us engaged rather than indulging stress related issues.
4. Join an activity class- We can join an activity class like karate, dancing and yoga, etc. where we can channelize our stress in doing these physical activities. Some people take interest in cooking as a mood booster.
5. Listening to music- Music is an effective way of relieve stress. Any kind of music, be it any genre which is our favourite keep us engaged listening and also soothes our mind thus, can help de-stress.
6. To try creative arts- Any sort of art be it painting, singing, dancing, acting, sculpting help us to express ourselves and thus we can emotionally channelize our stress and wronged emotions in performing these activities and thus calming our minds and feel better at the end of the day.
7. Find a hobby- We all have a long-lost hobby which we eventually parted from due to our eventful life but we can always go back to it- it can be anything! - gardening, cooking, reading a good book, listening to music, watching movies, writing a journal, playing video or outdoor games, literally anything!
8. Taking care of one own self- It can be of any form having a warm bath or doing a skincare routine or even eating one’s favourite food like ice cream?! Anything which can make us feel good about ourselves and we love doing it!
9. Taking a nap- Stress and sleep issues go hand in hand simultaneously. Taking a short power nap of 20 minutes can do wonders in relieving stress as it is shown it reduces cortisol levels in our bodies and thus, we can wake up in a stress-free world.
10. Cuddling up with a pet- Just the appearance of our pet can work as a mood booster for us, thus relieving stress! Taking a pet out for a walk can act as an exercise too!
11. Calling up a friend- Sometimes our friend gives us the best advice. So after a stressful day calling up a friend and telling him/her our problems helps us to reduce our stress.
12. Keeping the phone way- Now in everything we do is mostly across the screen but sometimes it can be overwhelming and thus distancing ourselves from the social media once in a while is good as the humongous amount of hate there and also the romanticism of the hate can worsen our state if not leading to stress in the first place.
Stress will stay only if you want t0 house it! Win it and get rid of it!