Stress Is Stressing Me Out!
We are not only stressed with the things that life brings, but we have become literally "stressed about being stressed." We know it's the thing to avoid, but how do we do it? Why can't we eliminate stress?
The first step to taking control of your stress barometer is to realize that your body was created to handle stress. Stress can save your life. But unfortunately, uncontrolled interactions with external factors wreak havoc on our minds and bodies.
If a pack of dogs is chasing you, your body knows to recognize them as a danger and thereby causes you to respond accordingly, by running, in this case. You calm down once you're away from harm, and your body functions normally. However, the problem is that your body will respond this way to any external factor that's an irritant. It could be heavy traffic, a deadline on your job, a schedule that won't slow down, etc. Your body's response to these external factors is the same for a pack of wild dogs when not appropriately engaged. It wants to help you get out of harm's way, so it goes through the physiological processes to help you, but without success. As a result, most of us spend our days living as if we are constantly on the run from danger. We are in constant fight or flight mode over things that don't deserve that level of response. Being in this state all the time shows up negatively physically and mentally.
Here are some options that will help you manage the stress in your life. If you've been functioning in a high-stress state, trying to turn it down a notch can be a stressor initially, but keep at it. Your body will reward you.
There are many options; I'm just listing a few.
Be realistic about the factor that's causing stress. For example, should the response be one tha matches running from a pack of wild dogs? If not, reassess and respond accordingly.
Choose to respond, not react. Responses automatically slow you down, thus giving you time to think. Reactions are just that, actions. Actions that most times make things worse.
Exercise your "no" options. There's a price to pay for trying to do it all. The price is stress. Remember when you say yes, you're also saying no to something or someone.
Explore your unhealthy habits. Unhealthy habits are the fruits of stress, not the root cause. For example, caffeine, alcohol, smoking, excessive sugar, and excessive food intake will never reduce stress, but they can certainly harm your body.
Increase your physical activity. Try walking, jogging, gardening, or anything that gets you moving.
Get some sleep! Sleep is free medicine. Stop throwing it away. Sleep is more than getting shut-eye. Your body internally does maintenance while in sleep mode. This maintenance helps you to function the next day. Set a routine and stick to it.
Stress can be reduced, and it won't cost you anything but commitment.