How to Reduce Stress ?

What’s the fret about stress?

Stress. A word we use most often in our lives – a stressful day, a stressful conversation. But do we know what exactly stress is? Notice that one situation can bring out different reactions from different people. For instance, convincing a person to do a particular task. Some people may be able to do the thing very easily. While, on the other hand, some may lose their temper or get stressed explaining how the thing needs to be done. This is a broad outline of what basically stress is. Stress, in fact, is anything that poses a threat or challenge to our well-being. But, the bigger picture that needs to be answered is how to reduce stress!

What gives you stress?

Now that we have established what stress is, let’s try to understand the major causes of stress.

The factors that cause stress are called stressors. It is a general perception that stressors are usually negative forces that drive our mind to think negative and shoot unexpected reactions. However, anything that puts a high or extra demand on us can be classified as a stressor. This includes getting married, shifting to a new place, getting a new client on-board and much more. While these are external stressors, there are internal stress factors as well. Internal stress factors are those that are self-generated such as worrying or thinking too much about something. Such thoughts can be negative, irrational or pessimistic and are a major cause of stress.

Stress hits you, then hurts you!

When you are a stressed, your body reacts to it by instigating a physical response. Body’s nervous system comes into action and releases hormones that help you fight against stress. This is called ‘fight-or-flight’ response.

Usually, a person who is under certain kind of stress shows some physical signs, like fast heartbeat, excess sweating, tensed muscles, fast breathing, etc. This type of stress is short-term and in most of the cases, the body is able to recover quickly from it. However, in case the stress continues to overpower for a long period of time, it can lead to serious health complications. If you have been stressed for a very long time, you might experience one or a combination of these below-mentioned symptoms:

• Headache
• High irritation
• Tiredness
• Difficulty in sleeping
• Depression
• High BP
• Fluctuation in body weight
• Heart attack
• Heartburn
• Abnormal heartbeat

Feeding Stressed? Relax and calm down

Feeling stressed in today’s time is inevitable. But how you handle stress is what makes you a healthy and in fact, a happy person. It is important to control stress for a healthier and happier life. Every individual reacts differently to stress. So there is no ‘one formula for all’ to manage stress. You should focus on what keeps you calm and in control during stressful situations.

Follow the below mentioned tips and learn how to reduce stress in your life:

• Get up and moving

Stress hits us at both mental and physical level. A small walk or a simple yoga aasan can help you get a peaceful sleep at night. Exercise helps in releasing endorphins- hormones that alleviate mood and make you feel good, thereby distracting you from your stressful situation.

• Make friends with healthy food

It has been observed that people turn to junk food for comfort during stressed times as the urge to eat unhealthy food under pressure increases. Well, how to reduce stress? The key here is not to deprive yourself of food. Arm yourself with some healthy snacks so that you are not tempted to binge.

• Turn on good music

Music is a tried and tested stress-buster. It has the prowess to pull you out from any stressful situation and helps release feel-good hormones in your body. Listen to some soothing tunes, distract your mind and release stress while tapping your feet to the music beats.

• Hit the sack

Good sleep is a catalyst to a peaceful mind, and a healthy body. If you are tired, your stress levels are bound to go up as it might cause you to overthink irrationally.

• Maintain a healthy lifestyle

Your lifestyle choices determine your resistance to combat stress. It is advisable to reduce caffeine and sugar intake, avoid excessive smoking and drinking and eat healthy food.

• Stay positive

There are times when certain things are not in our control. It is imperative here that you stay positive at all times and don’t let stress overrule your life. Recall a past success and give room to happy thoughts. Once you’re happy and positive thoughts enter your mind, stress will ooze out itself.

Stress is a by-product of an advanced, busy life we lead now-a-days. But it is important to control stress and know how to reduce stress so that it does not overpower you. One needs to find a good balance in life to control stress and lead a healthy, happy and peaceful life.

All these tips are obvious. But when you manage these well in your lifestyle, it will pose a huge impact on your energy, outlook and attitude towards handling stress.