Stress plagues our everyday lives. It’s sad, but true. When we’re not worried about dodging deadlines at work, weaving through strangers on hot, overcrowded subways, or precariously avoiding family drama, we’re stressed about what to wear to that party on Saturday, and how on earth we’re going to make time to get our nails done before then.
The fact is, stress is everywhere, and it permeates all aspects of our everyday living.
And if you’re anything like me, getting bad news can take the relaxation out of my sails and make something as pleasant as a stroll in the park or a day at the spa somehow “stressful.” While I’m not trying to be Polly Pessimistic, it’s something that we have to embrace and deal with. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing we can do to help mitigate the unpleasantness and succumb to the terrors of stress (which for me, includes sleepless nights, terrible skin rashes, internal havoc, and periodic eye-twitching).
Because stress is but a mere symptom of our physiological and psychological breakdown, we can still alter the situation and manage to keep our sanity before things turn awry. When we learn to recognize and deal with burnout, we will have the power to do what we actually want and take better care of ourselves.
Being mindful of your stress, and integrating different practices into your daily routine can help minimize the likelihood that you’ll have a nervous breakdown. Here are some ways you can keep control of your stress throughout the day:
1. Pause and refresh
When you’re at work and you’re having one of those moments where you’re ready to kick over the water cooler, take a moment. And to prevent those inevitable freak-outs, try and pause for 5 or ten minutes every 2 or 3 hours. Stand up, stretch, and get fresh air. Meditate.
Also, throughout the day, try drinking an excessive amount of water and organic herbal tea. Not only is water great for flushing toxins out of your body, but it’ll force you to take more frequent bathroom breaks, which equates to more time away from your desk to help recalibrate your brain.
2. Try to take things one at a time
All day long, we’re multi-tasking to get a million things done. And sometimes, it feels like there is just not enough time in the day, week, or year. Well, that’s life. Embrace it. And instead of panicking about everything you have to accomplish this millennium, try to limit your anxiety to what you need to get done today. You have all day to worry about tomorrow, tomorrow.
3. Give yourself some credit
I’m awesome. Go ahead, say it out loud. This may sound a bit narcissistic, but it’s important for us to recognize the accomplishments that we have made each day – no matter how insignificant they may seem. When we are stressed-out, everything around us seems chaotic and we get disappointed because we cannot put things in order no matter how hard we try. By giving yourself a little credit, it may give you an extra boost of optimism and that kick-in-the-ass you need to just get things done.
4. Make every day a “healthy” day
While smoking cigarettes, binge drinking, then sitting around all day eating Cheetos may sound fun, your system and your stress levels won’t agree. Going to bed by 10pm and getting regular physical exercise are basic steps of any stress reduction program because they helps calm the nervous system. Sustained exercise, like aerobic, produces more of the natural soothing hormone endorphins in the body.
Healthy balance can also be achieved by reducing our sugar intake. Too much sugar can deplete B-vitamins, which are essential for a healthy nervous system. More importantly, we have a tendency to stress out about our skin, our weight, and our overall health – so why torture yourself via self-destruction? Feeling good about our health and our bodies gives us one less thing to stress about.
5. You can cry if you really want to
Repressed feelings are often intense and destructive — like monsters that slowly eat us from the inside. We have to let go of our emotions when we feel like it. Modesty and professionalism should not stop us from expressing our feelings, but keep it balanced – nobody wants to be known as the office lunatic. Sure, crying not only helps release toxins from the body, and it is also liberating, but have some discretion. Cry under your desk or in the supply closet, and feel free to punch the paper towel dispenser in the bathroom to get some anger out. Just release your emotions before you attempt to discuss your frustrations with co-workers.
6. Laugh all day, at least at yourself
Finding humor in simple things is not synonymous with being mischievous. Instead, it means accepting the fact of life that we are imperfect and we put ourselves into awkward situations every now and then. When those awkward moments happen, try and let yourself appreciate how funny awkwardness actually is. It’s hard “not to take things so seriously,” but laughing at yourself is easier than it seems – and you can still take life seriously at the same time. There are lots of ways to have fun, and stay productive. So laugh – it’s a contagious de-stressor.
At the end of the day, it’s up to you to decide how to deal with stress. While we can’t control every stressful situation that surrounds us, we can certainly control how we let stress control us and our emotions.
What are other ways you’ve been successful at keeping stress at bay throughout the day?
Being on the go can be stressful. Living in NYC is like a fast-moving bus, everything happens in just one click. Sometimes I just found myself in such a stressful situation and then what I do is stop, sit and take a deep breath. Even these simple steps can relieve stress fast.
When I feel so stressed out, I just eat it. I am a stress eater and it is how I cope up with stress. I was told it isn’t good and I just find other ways to deal with stress, but so far this is the one that best works for me. And I do not have any plans in changing it soon.
Hahaha! I am a stress eater too and somehow I gained weight because of it. And now when people tell me that I am getting fat, I am feeling a little bit of stress and then I eat it out again. Hhhmm, maybe I will try some fun exercise routine and see if it works for me. I hope to release my stress than kill myself from exercising, lols! #foodislife
The tips are really relatable.Cry it out and then laugh it out. There is this saying that there is always a rainbow after the rain and it is true. Deal with stress the way you know how and then be the best version of yourself the next day. And when you feel stress again, then do the same routine over and over and over.
In my opinion, having a sport is a good way to fight stress. I regularly play basketball with my colleagues or friends and it helps me be fit and feel good about myself. I guess, if you are feeling so good from the inside, it can reflect in whatever you do and you won’t get affected easily by the bad things happening around you. ??
I believe in this. Physical appearance can also be a source of stress. So taking care of our body is important to prevent stress.
Sometimes, crying is just what it takes to take all the pain and stress you are feeling. Whenever I feel so bad, I just cry myself out all at once because it helps me feel better after and it is a good technique to prevent fights(in my opinion).
I believe that crying is one of the best ways to relieve stress.I used to keep all my frustrations on myself and when another thing happens I just explode. My mother told me it is not healthy not talk about problems and it is easier to feel better after crying. I always thought that crying is a sign of weakness but I have learned it is also a way to feel better and stronger after.
Absolutely right! I am always being called a crying baby because I tend to cry easily when bad things happen. And I just do not mind because that is my way to express my emotions and some even think I am weird because I can shift my mood easily especially after crying. It works for me every time. #cryingishealthy
Honestly, I am not good at controlling myself when I am stressed out. I actually have a tendency to be violent when my mind is in chaos. But when I started hitting the gym, I finally found the best venue to release all my stress by tiring myself until I drop. So far, it is the best way for me to cope up with stress.
Yoga is my way to release stress from my work. My mind and body are both exhausted from my busy schedule at work and since I discovered yoga, my body becomes more relax and I can get to rest at night with a clearer mind. I would recommend this to others.
Wow! You share the same passion. I am so in-love with yoga too. Having children is difficult than I expected it to be and dedicating like 30mins of my time every day to do yoga really helped me to be more relaxed and patience with my children. Such a great way to release stress.
I am working and I get stress every day not only at work but also at home. I am living alone and I thought that living with no one around is the best choice since I do not need to think about others when I get home but I guess I am wrong. Good thing I have Charlie, he is a Persian cat I got for my birthday and he keeps me company and he definitely is a stress reliever.
This is true! I also have a pet and she makes me happy when I get home from a stressful day at work. She is like a family to me and I am just happy that I got her.
I am pregnant and my mood swings are uncontrollable. I used to be very calm and composed but now, I get irritated easily and I feel so stressed because of all the things around. My doctor said it’s normal to feel this way but I am just sad because I know I am giving my husband a hard time too. I just sleep or read books to relax my mind because I know stress is dangerous in my condition.
This is good! I salute your husband for taking care of you and understanding you. When my wife was also pregnant with our first born, it was a little complicated and her mood swings were killing me. But I had to endure all of it and just understand that bearing a child in her body was not easy. #salutetodads