Stress is omnipresent these days – whether we are at work or pursuing our private interests. All people have stress. And even a child in the womb experiences stress from its mother’s circumstances – both positive and negative. But what does stress actually mean? And how do you deal with stress? In this article, you will get 4 tips and methods for dealing with stress.
4 Tips To Cope Better With Stress
Relaxation
The term “relaxation” already says it: The goal is to reduce tension and to get into a state in which body, mind and soul are in balance. Pressure, tension and stress fall away when you relax. In today’s society in particular, relaxation methods such as autogenic training and meditation are becoming increasingly popular. The focus here is entirely on yourself and conscious breathing, helping you to let go of tension. If you haven’t tried it yet, you should definitely give it a try! And don’t worry, meditation courses and the like don’t always have to be esoteric. The offer here is so huge that you will surely find the right one for you. However, if you find that the relaxation techniques mentioned above are not for you, there are of course other, short-term and quickly applicable measures that will help you to calm down. For example, hold your wrists under cold water for a short moment or take a deep breath and then try to breathe consciously for two or three breaths. You can also count backwards from 20 to zero, or force yourself to smile for at least 60 seconds. Even if that sounds absurd at first: Studies show that even a fake smile or laugh helps to release happiness hormones (the so-called endorphins), so that you feel much more relaxed afterwards.
Sufficient Sleep
There are many recommendations for the optimal sleep duration, most studies recommend between seven and eight hours. But here, too, you have to find out your individual sleep needs for yourself. Listen to your body and its signals, because you understand it best. If you find your eyes shut repeatedly throughout the day, you’re exhausted and you can only stay awake with caffeinated beverages, you should adjust your sleep schedule. Make sure that you only sleep in your bed and don’t distract yourself with other things like social media. Changing the time you go to bed and wake up can also help you feel more awake in the morning and more energetic throughout the day. Incidentally, it has been proven that it is harder to fall asleep if you look at your smartphone just before you go to bed. The blue light of the display means that your body produces less of the sleep hormone melatonin and you don’t feel tired as a result. So it is best to put the cell phone away at least half an hour before going to bed.
Exercise
By the way, we not only reduce stress when we relax. We can also reduce our stress level when we are moving. A little encouragement for those who don’t like sports: By the way, sport is most useful when you don’t overdo it. Whether it’s strength training in the gym, relaxation techniques such as QiGong and yoga or a simple walk in nature – there are many ways to reduce your stress level by reducing cortisol. In any case, it is important that you choose a sport that you enjoy and that suits you. Because if you force yourself into an exercise just because it’s fashionable or because others have persuaded you to do so, it will trigger renewed stress.
Time Management
Although you may hate to hear it, good time management can save you from a lot of stress. Because if you plan enough time for all to-do’s during the day and also have a bit of a buffer for unexpected events, then stress can often not arise in the first place. A structured daily or weekly plan gives you the necessary framework so that you have enough time to act and react more relaxed even in the event of unforeseeable, urgent events. It also gives you a good overview of what to expect this week and you can prepare yourself mentally for it.
