Some stress is actually desirable – you probably don’t want to get rid of the reflexive stress that causes you to jump out of the way of a moving bus, or that stress that gives you the energy to meet challenges in the workplace or home. But the kind of stress you may want to get rid of is the chronic, wearing type of stress that may be having a negative effect on your health.
Here are some tips on getting rid of the bad stress in your life.
1. Don’t sweat the small stuff
You may have heard this saying before, but there’s a reason why it gets repeated. Keeping a healthy perspective about how important or unimportant certain things are can go a long way toward relieving stress. Stop and think about whether or not something is going to matter in ten years, five years, or next week!
For example, if you find the enormous load of laundry that never goes away stressful, think about whether it will make a difference in ten years whether that laundry is washed today or on some other day.
2. Adjust your lifestyle
It’s one thing to deal with stress that’s already in your life; it’s another to prevent it. Try making some changes to reduce stress before it happens. Some people find it helpful to make a schedule – instead of looking around and seeing more than you can do, make a realistic plan to get it done.
Things that need to be done seem less overwhelming when you know you are working on them. And on the days when you are not tackling that particular thing, you may feel more like you deserve or have “earned” a break, since you worked on it yesterday and will be working on it again another day.
3. Practice deep breathing
This can go into actual meditation if you like – meditation is said to relieve stress, too. But if you just want to practice deep, slow breathing, it can help relieve stress.
Breathe slowly through your nose and imagine filling up your whole middle with air; then release it slowly through your mouth. Repeat a helpful phrase or imagine a restful image while you do this, if possible. Some sources say this helps release toxins, too – they say that stale air left in the lungs may make you more prone to disease or infection.
4. Turn it off
Take some time to turn off the news, your cell phone, the radio, your land line telephone, and the computer. Sometimes, our sources of stress come from hearing about the suffering and difficulties of others. Hearing the news during the day or, perhaps worse, right before bed may add to your stress. Try turning off these sources of information for a little while each day.
