Today, in our fast-paced complex lives, stress has become an inevitable part of living. Our world is filled with a wide range of stressors. Studies indicate that repeated bouts of stress could take a toll on your health and well-being. It could impair your immune system, increase your blood pressure and slow down your digestive process. It could saddle you with depression, lead you into sleep deprivation and increase your chances of being inflicted with life-debilitating diseases.
Here’s the good news: stress can be averted. A host of medical issues can be prevented by managing stress effectively. It is possible to calm yourself down. The key is to learn ways to effectively cope with ongoing stressful situations. To begin with, determine the level of impact stress could have on your personal life and on your total health. Indeed, the level of damage caused by stress would vary from one individual to another- – – depending on the intensity and frequency of stress occurrence. For some, involvement in any unnerving situation or relationship could cause stress. In others, stress could be caused by repeatedly dwelling on disturbing past events.
Here are top three proven ways to help you manage stress effectively:
1. Be in control of your breathing
Breathing is a natural necessary phenomenon; it is an elixir to life. Focus on your breathing technique; practice diaphragmatic pattern of breathing which releases deeper breaths and controls your heart beats. Quick, shallow breathing activates stress and could lead to panic attacks. You can effectively calm down by changing the manner in which you breathe. Correct breathing improves your overall ability to function and enables you to stay calm in any negative situation. Avoid any stressful situation; it is bound to create anxiety. Breathing slowly and deeply is the key to managing stress; it can effectively handle stressful situations
2. Be in control of your thoughts
Make a concentrated effort to totally eliminate negative thoughts and create positive thoughts. Try visualizing in your mind’s eye, one of your favorite scenes. It could be anything of your choice like the blue waters of the lake, a panoramic view of the mountains, and the glimmer of the sunset. Vary your visualizing technique; at one time it could be the strains of some soothing music and other times, allow your sense of touch or smell to come to the fore. Visualizing enjoyable things you once experienced or dreamed about, could bring you immense pleasure and expel stress. It could have a deep calming effect on your mind, body and soul.
3. Be in control of your environment
The best way to deal with stress is to nip it in the bud and find ways to be in control of your environment. Do not allow your environment or any circumstance in the environment to take charge. Change the setting and take a break from the stress-related environment. Go for a walk; bask in the open-air sunshine or seek the company of interesting friends. Following this technique, helps you in transforming your negative thoughts into positive ones. It gives you time to calm down, briefly assemble your thoughts and tackle the situation stress-free. Be discreet; avoid getting flustered. Take a deliberate pause, avoid hasty action and just think calmly to arrive at an amicable, positive solution.
Final thoughts:
Following the above simple techniques consistently, could be your best bet to calm yourself down and manage stress effectively. Perhaps, reading a romantic novel or having a glass of wine or a warm water soak could be most relaxing for you. Maybe you could try using positive affirmations, practice meditation, recite a short prayer or visit your favorite place of worship. Practice whatever works best for you by all means; you can be your best judge! You may soon discover that your once raging nerves are giving way to many splendored positive emotions. As these come flooding in, an invigorating, magical effect gets imprinted on your mind, body and soul.
Here is wishing you a lifetime of calm, happy and stress-free state of being.
Source: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Managing Stress by Jeff Davidson
