If it's not one thing, it's another. If you managed to meet your financial obligations this month, that's probably when your car breaks down. When it rains, it pours, is likely a sentiment we can all relate to these days. Stress is a fact of life, unless your last name is Rockefeller. Knowing this doesn't make it easier. What you do need to know are the tricks and techniques of coping with stress effectively. Once you get a handle on dealing with stress, the daily grind of stressful situations is eased, to a degree. The less stressed out you are, the more able you are to make good decisions and make the best use of what you've got to work with.
Just in case you need convincing, let's take a look at just a few of the common outcomes of stress, in terms of your physical and mental responses. When you're under stress, your body responds with an adrenalin rush, triggering that 'fight or flight' response. Many of us are under pressure from some outside stimulus on a more or less ongoing basis. Finances, health, family issues, job concerns and just plain worry can keep you on edge. This is a recipe for anxiety, insomnia and high blood pressure. Living in a constant state of stress will result in health problems and also reduce your ability to be effective in coping with stress. It's a vicious cycle. Here we provide a few pointers on coping with stress in little steps that add up to a healthier, more relaxed perspective, allowing you to make better, more considered decisions, which result in less stress!
The first step in devising a plan for coping with stress is to sit down with a notebook and make a very specific, prioritized list of things that get you in the stress mode. Do you feel you're running all day long, with your time eaten up in bits and pieces, putting the virtual fires out as you go along? Is your income insufficient to meet your obligations? Does worry interfere with your sleep? Perhaps your work load preempts any possibility of 'quality time' with your kids. This makes you feel guilty, which only adds to your stress. This brief list doesn't even begin to cover the bases of individual life circumstances. No matter what causes your stress, make an honest and detailed list.
Now that you've determined the specific sources of your stresses, divide your list into two groups: those which are out of your control and those which you can do something to alleviate. Reorganizing your time slots such that you get bigger chunks of uninterrupted work time can result in more tasks accomplished and a little time for pure relaxation. Delegating some of those time eaters to other members of the family is another way of coping with stress. Let the kids make their lunches for tomorrow. Have them strip their beds, toss the sheets in the laundry and make their beds with fresh sheets. Don't feel guilty and don't stress out for delegating! These types of tasks are ones kids need to learn to prepare them for real life. This way of coping with stress is good for them and good for you!
By narrowing your list of stresses to a short list of factors over which you don't have control, you've made progress. Use the time saved in not dealing with tomorrow's lunches and changing beds to settle down in a hot tub with a cup of herbal tea or hot chocolate. Relax. Set worrisome thoughts aside for the time. Bring a book in to the tub and divert your attention from the merry-go-round of endless stress.
Making small periods of absolute relaxation is the key to coping with stress. Setting aside a half hour of scheduled time for exercise, kicking back with some music or simply meditating or praying are other ways to ease your stress levels. You'll reap the benefits in terms of better health, more quality time with your family members and a better outlook on life in general!
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