[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]At some point I have mentioned that stress is one of the most extended conditions in the 21st century. Still, we do not give it the importance it has. That might be because the detrimental effects on our health are gradual or we tend to attribute them to something else.
Or maybe we are not aware of what happens to us, of when we suffer stress. So, let us see how you can realise that you are stressed, and more importantly, how to relieve and prevent stress.
Recognise that you are stressed
In order to relieve stress, we first need to realise when we are stressed. That requires paying attention to the signs our body and mind send us.
Mental signs
There are several sign that you suffer stress. You may have mental block. On one hand you might have problems remembering things: people’s names, events, certain information you prepared and do not remember in what file it is etc.
On the other hand you may lack ideas to solve problems, make progress on projects and with tasks. Perhaps you feel mentally exhausted and therefore have a hard time concentrating.
You may feel overwhelmed by work, family burdens or your situation in general. You have the feeling of not coping, of not having time for everything you need to do. And when you have time you have difficulties doing what you planned. That is why you procrastinate doing less important things or simply distracting yourself with anything.
Another sign is that you think over and over again about things you need to do or worries you have.
Emotional signs
The emotional symptoms can vary depending on your way of being and the type of stress you suffer. You might feel lethargic and apathetic. Maybe you distance yourself emotionally from stressful situations in order to avoid that they affect you.
Perhaps you feel sad or like crying. You may also feel angry, irritated or annoyed. Things rile you up easily and you react roughly. Maybe you feel alone and misunderstood.
Body signs
The signs of your body can be from small alerts to discomfort or illness. You may have nervous tics like moving a foot, touching your face or hair often or a trembling eyelid. We can also suffer from palpitations.
Having problems to fall asleep or a restless sleep are also good signs for stress. Likewise is the craving for comfort food like sweets or junk food or for alcohol to unwind.
When we feel anxious we can tense the body unconsciously. Therefore muscle tensions, contractions in the neck and back, dizziness, headaches or even migraines are also typical signs.
Feeling a lump in the gut, a swollen belly, having digestive and stomach problems are further body alerts.
When our body fights against stress our defences can weaken. This makes us more prone to illnesses, from a simple cold to more severe problems like heart conditions for example.
Do you know when you are #stressed? Which #body, #mental and #emotional signs indicate that you suffer #stress Click To Tweet
How to relieve stress
In order to relieve stress, there are several things we can do in the moment and others which will help us stress less in general.
Breathe or meditate
When you feel stressed, firstly I recommend you take a moment to pay attention to your breathing. You may try one of these four techniques.
- Breathe in and out slowly several times until you feel calmer.
- Breathe in slightly, let go of all the air, hold the breath until you really feel the need to breathe in and then inhale slightly. Repeat this process several times.
- Take some minutes to meditate. There are several meditation techniques. If your head is filled with issues I suggest focussed meditation.
- Do a body scan. Close your eyes and, whilst breathing calmly, pay attention to all your body parts slowly.
If you want to get to know more relaxation and mindfulness techniques, you may find them in the posts “Mindfulness exercises” and “More exercises for Mindfulness“.
When feeling #stressed, take a moment to pay attention to your #breathing. 4 exercises to #calm you down. #StressRelief Click To Tweet
Clear your head
If we feel stressed, it is because we have a lot of worries or obligations on our mind. Therefore, take paper and pen and write down everything that occupies you. If you have a task-list system, note the issues in the corresponding lists. If not, unload what is on your mind on a piece of paper or in a diary. Once done, I suggest you plan when you will take action on each of the points. Otherwise the effect of clearing your head will last little.
Reserve time not only to solve certain tasks but also to think about your problems and worries. It is not easy to face them but unsolved problems grow in our mind and cause stress even if subconsciously.
Also think about other things you should put in order. Physical clutter also occupies mental space and can stress us. If this is your case, sort something out that you have been putting off or at least reserve time in the agenda to do it later on.
#Stress is often due to having the #mind full of #obligations and #worries. How to clear your mind and relieve stress. #StressRelief Click To Tweet
Use your body to relax the mind
Physical activity helps us clear our mind and relieve stress. That is why I recommend you include sports and relaxing activities as well as pastimes in your weekly routine.
Choose one or more physical activities you enjoy. There is a wide spectrum to choose something you like: walking, running, dancing, yoga, Pilates, going to the gym, playing ball games, swimming, cycling, skating etc. When choosing, consider if you prefer to be alone or accompanied and, in the latter case who you can do the activity with. The more you like the activity, the more motivated you will be to practice it and not abandon.
Apart from sports activities, pastimes also help us disconnect from our obligations. Do you like handicrafts like cross stitching, weaving, painting, doing origami or whatever? Then take time for it. Gardening can be another fun and relaxing pastime. Even home chores can help us calm a troubled mind when we do them mindfully. Try to forget that they are part of your many obligations and just concentrate on the activity.
#Stress may leave us exhausted. But #physicalactivity and #pastimes help reduce the mental load and regain energy. Click To Tweet
Read and learn
Do you like to read but do not have time? Find some because reading is one of the most relaxing activities. I suggest you switch between books you read for fun and those providing knowledge, be it for your work or personal development.
Also take time for learning new things. In addition to providing new knowledge, it will help you get out of the rut.
Organise fun activities
Same as organising your tasks and obligations, take time to plan fun activities. From meetings with friends, visiting a museum, theatre or amusement park to a getaway to the nature or some other town or even organising your next holiday trip, think what you feel like.
How to prevent stress
If you suffer stress often, beyond including more activities and habits in your routine to relieve stress, you need to prevent it. Therefore consider which situations, worries or things stress you. Think how you can reduce these situations or solve these worries.
If part of your stress is due to being too busy, I invite you to consider your priorities. From there, consider which self-imposed obligations and which habits you could get rid of or at least reduce. Which commitments should you learn to say no to, at least sometimes?
Taking time for reviewing and planning our obligations and tasks is another habit that helps us avoid the feeling of being overwhelmed by circumstances. That is why I recommend you take each day, week and month time for review and planning.
I also suggest you think about how you take things. Are there situations which stress you because they do not align with your values and how you thinks things should be done well? Then I suggest you consider whether you can influence them. If you cannot change how others do things, then you rather accept it and reduce your expectations. Things are not always as we would like them to be. But we can train our frustration tolerance and acceptance.
Do you know and use #stressrelief techniques but still feel #stressed often? Learn to prevent it. Click To Tweet
Are you stressed?
How often do you suffer stress? What stresses you? What do you do to relieve stress?
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