Stressors are situations or agents that impose threat on our well being. It could be noise, unpleasant people, slow traffic, loss of a loved one, nervousness of doing something for the first time, worrying about meeting deadlines, and even exams. These stressors aren't really our problem; it is our negative response to them that make us feel stressed. Here, I will be sharing tips on how to manage stress and better your health.
1. Identify stressors
Different situations can produce stress that can leave a person feeling tired and overwhelmed. As different things trigger stress in different people, it is important to know what exactly triggers your own stress. Identifying the stressors will give you a head start in tackling stress.
2. Learn to adapt, avoid or accept what you can't change.
At times, unexpected changes/situations could throw us into stress and pull us down. Be it death of a loved one, a bad break up, or loss of something important. When we're faced with frustrating situations, or certain things we can't change like annoying people, demanding boss, tight schedules, or being broke. It is best to accept and adapt to these changes(stressors) if we can't avoid them.
3. Replace unhealthy habits and behaviors with healthy ones
If you find yourself smoking, overdrinking, overeating or pretty much doing things you don't usually do in excess. Chances are you are increasing your stress level. Reduce/ avoid smoking, replace alcohol and caffeine with water, fruits drinks and tea to stay hydrated. Alcohol and weed are depressants and may help you escape stress temporarily but will actually damage your health in the long run. Caffeine is a stimulant and would increase your energy levels, keeping you awake for longer and may even affect your alertness and keep you from getting sleep. Try also to indulge a healthy diet.
4. Do physical activities
Try taking a walk in fresh air whenever you feel stressed; use the stairs instead of elevators. Exercising atleast twice a week will have a significant improvement in your stress levels. Exercising will help you channel out those negative energy, improve blood circulation, help you relax and stay healthy.
5. Talk to someone
Talk to someone who can help about issues that might be bothering you instead of bottling them up. It would lift the burdens and make you feel better. It is also important to connect and spend time with family and loves one's. Sharing moments and laughter with the ones you love will help you relax and boost your mood.
6. Manage your time
The feeling that there's so much to do and so little time is stressful on its own. Since you can't have more hours of the day, what you need is a means of maximizing your time to get more things done. Planning your time will give you a sense of control over your day and ensure that you are not wasting time on irrelevant things that may even appear urgent. It will help you meet deadlines and create time in your schedule to relax.
7. Get more Sleep
Stress and sleep have a two-way relationship. Getting a good night's sleep can help reduce the effect of stress. At the same time, high stress levels can make sleeping more difficult or could even lead to sleeping disorders. It is therefore advisable to treat sleeping disorders or better still eliminate all forms of distractions before bedtime in order to give your brain time to calm down before sleep. Getting enough sleep also boosts your energy levels, alertness and help control blood pressure.
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