How to Control Stress

Stress is the reaction of our bodies to any change that needs a physical, mental or emotional response. It is a part of our everyday life. With jobs, studies and the events that happen to us, we cannot avoid stress.

A little bit of stress is actually good. It can keep us motivated and alert. It can give us focus and a sense of direction to whatever we are doing. However, too much stress can be harmful. When stress breaks our bodies down, we experience exhaustion and even illness.

While we cannot deny or avoid stress, we can certainly do something about it. Here are some ways to control stress so that you won’t get sick.

Keeping a positive attitude helps control stress. Taking things lightly and not worrying too much about these things can strengthen up your stress coping mechanism.

Being assertive instead of becoming aggressive in the face of stressful situations also help control stress. Feelings, opinions or beliefs should be expressed rationally and calmly. Being angry will only add up to stress. If you should have to defend your feelings, opinions or belief, be firm but do not let anger control over you.

Also, you also have to realize that there are things and events that are beyond your control. That means you have to stop blaming yourself and become guilty on things that you cannot control. If you insist on blaming yourself, you will end up with a lot of unnecessary stress.

Live a healthy lifestyle can also control stress significantly. Being healthy strengthens your body against stressful situations. Eat well balanced meals, get enough sleep and stay away from too much alcohol or cigarettes.

Together with having a healthy lifestyle, exercise can do wonders in controlling stress. Not only can a fit body fight stress better but it can also make you feel good. When you feel good about yourself, it is easier to have a positive attitude about things. 

Another cause of stress is when you are doing many things at the same time. To control stress, you have to manage your time. Set a period of time for each task that you are going to do in a day. To do this effectively, it is best to keep an organizer where you can list all the things that you need to do.

At any time, people will ask you for requests that are beyond your capability or can cause excessive stress. To control stress, you have to learn to say “no” to such requests. It is a good idea to set limits and choose requests that are not so stressful.

Lastly, do not forget to relax and take some time off. Indulge in a hobby, have a nice massage or go to a serene place. Recreation and relaxation can rejuvenate the body and takes the stress away.

These techniques will surely help you in the battle against excessive stress.