Onlinejobsandcareers.comOnlinejobsandcareers.com
Home My Briefcase Counselling Company Profile Career Resources
Username Password Forgot Password

Counselling > Stress Management
Stress Management Techniques

Summary
     There is nothing that will magically help us relieve stress. Effective stress management includes selecting a variety of ways to deal with stress and implementing them over a period of time. A particular stress management technique may be effective on one occasion, but not another, so we need to be ready to implement new ones for any given time and situation. The use of stress management procedures can help us grow from the stresses in our lives rather than being immobilized by them. By refocusing on priorities and goals that reflect personal values and by developing the skills of pacing, assertiveness, and time management, people can live more satisfying lives.
Some healthful hints
     Basically, we need to modify our over-reactions to situations. Rather than seeing situations as psychologically or physically threatening and thereby activating our sympathetic nervous system, our parasympathetic nervous system (that part which helps lower physiological arousal) needs to be called into play. The following suggestions are designed to reduce distress. Try them. They work!

  • Learn to Relax : Throughout the day, take "minibreaks." Sit-down and get comfortable, slowly take a deep breath in, hold it, and then exhale very slowly. At the same time, let your shoulder muscles droop, smile, and say something positive like, "I am r-e-l-a-x-e-d." Be sure to get sufficient rest at night.
    Practice Acceptance : Many people get distressed over things they won't let themselves accept. Often these are things that can't be changed, like someone else's feelings or beliefs. If something unjust bothers you, that is different. If you act in a responsible way, the chances are you will manage stress effectively.
  • Talk Rationally to Yourself : Ask yourself what real impact the stressful situation will have on you in a day or a week and see if you can let the negative thoughts go. Think through whether the situation is your problem or the other's. If it is yours, approach it calmly and firmly; if it is the others, there is not much you can do about it. Rather than condemn yourself with hindsight thinking like, you can learn from the error and plan for the future. Watch out for perfectionism - set realistic and attainable goals. Remember, everyone makes errors. Be careful of procrastination - breaking tasks into smaller units will help and prioritizing will help get things done.
  • Get Organized : Develop a realistic schedule of daily activities that includes time for work, sleep, relationships, and recreation. Use a daily "thing to do" list. Improve your physical surroundings by cleaning your house and straightening up your office. Use your time and energy as efficiently as possible.
  • Exercise : Physical activity has always provided relief form stress, in the past, daily work was largely physical now that physical exertion is no longer a requirement for earning a living, we don't get rid of stress so easily while working. It accumulates very quickly. We need to develop a regular exercise program to help reduce the effects of working. It accumulates very quickly. We need to develop a regular exercise program to help reduce the effects of stress before it becomes distress. Try aerobics, walking, jogging, dancing, swimming, and the like.
  • Reduce Time Urgency : If you frequently check your watch or worry about what you do with your time, learn to take things a bit slower. Allow plenty of time to get things done. Plan your schedule ahead of time. Recognize that you can only do so much in a given period. Practice the notion of "pace, not race."
  • Disarm Yourself : Every situation in life does not require you to be competitive. Adjust your approach to an event according to its demands. You don't have to raise your voice in a simple discussion. Playing tennis with a friend doesn't have to be an Olympic trial. Leave behind you "weapons" of shutting, have the last worked, putting someone else down, and blaming.
  • Quiet Time : Balance your family, social, and work demands with special private times. Hobbies are good antidotes for daily pressures. Unwind by taking a quiet stroll, soaking in a hot bath, watching a sunset, or listening to calming music.
  • Watch Your Habits : Eat sensibly - a balanced diet will provide all the necessary energy you will need during the day. Avoid nonprescription drugs and minimize your alcohol use - you need to be mentally and physically alert to deal with stress. Be mindful of the effects of excessive caffeine and sugar on nervousness. Put out the cigarettes - they restrict blood circulation and affect the stress response.
  • Talk to Friends : Friends can be good medicine. Daily doses of conversation, regular social engagements, and occasional sharing of deep feelings and thoughts can reduce stress quite nicely.
  • Meditate : Meditation is the process of discovery of ones own self. Solve your own problems by calming the thought waves of your mind. Develop your own philosophy of life. Excel spiritually, mentally and physically. Seek your truth, beat stress, sleep good at night, live life to the fullest, and most importantly be happy. This is your class and it develops around your needs.
  • Yoga : Yoga means union and implies the union of body, mind and spirit. One who practices Yoga is a Yogi.  There are many different names applied to Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Raja Yoga, Kriya Yoga, Siddha Yoga and lots more.  All these various schools have the same goal and that is union.  Yoga is the goal of meditation.  When one feels Yoga, one feels together, cohesive and harmonious.  Conversely when one does not feel Yoga one feels not together, non cohesive and Inharmonious, which is stressful.  The latter state fills ones life with confusion, insecurity and fear.

What is Stress     Stress Issues     Techniques for Teens     Stress & Time Management


About UsContact UsDisclaimerFaq
All rights reserved © 2001 Onlinejobsandcareers.com