Is everything too much for you right now? If you take these stress management tips to heart, you'll gain more time for yourself and bring peace to your day.
What is stress management?
In general, stress management is the umbrella term for various methods and tricks that are intended to help you cope better with the stress of everyday life. To do this, it is important to know exactly where the stress comes from - which situation stresses you to what extent varies from person to person. While some people are under stress primarily at work, for others the triggers are personal problems such as difficulties in a relationship.
Stress makes you sick in the long run
While short-term stress can be healthy and even make us perform at our best, in the long run, it damages our health. Chronic stress can manifest itself, for example, through symptoms such as sleep disorders, gastrointestinal problems, or tension. That's why it's important to be able to manage stress. The aim is to reduce stress levels and learn how to relax more in everyday life through various tips and methods.
From time management to mindfulness: 15 tips for coping with stress
You hardly know where your head is anymore because of all the stress? These tips for stress management can help you!
1. never say: "I'm stressed".
If you have a lot to do, you like to say: "I'm stressed". The problem with this is that you are giving your brain an order to produce even more stress hormones. Therefore, to cope with stress, it's better to say: "I'm busy" - that's neutral and doesn't cause the adrenaline level to rise. It is similar to the word "must": "I still have to go shopping, cook and clean the bathroom after work" - such sentences or even thoughts create internal pressure. Rather say "I want to", or "I will". Nobody forces you to do anything.
2. think about your most important appointment
Make an appointment for stress management every day - with yourself. Half an hour is enough. The important thing is that you really do something for yourself in that time: play the saxophone, go jogging, or sit down with your favorite book in a nice cafe. You can also use the time to practice a relaxation method. Active relaxation has an additional advantage: You become permanently more relaxed - even if three people want something from you at the same time the next day at work or at home. Suitable methods of mindfulness include autogenic training, progressive muscle relaxation, yoga, tai chi, and qigong. This will help you manage stress in any situation!
3. multitasking? Forget it.
Cleaning out the dishwasher while talking to your girlfriend on the phone? Do you read the newspaper while you eat? Stress management is different! Rather do just one thing and concentrate on it. How does the food taste? What does your girlfriend's voice sound like? That way you'll calm down, become more relaxed, and be more aware of the good moments. In addition, you might notice that your friend is just acting so cheerful and really needs to get something off her chest. This way you can reduce her stress at the same time.
4. push the monkeys off your shoulders
A friend's daycare mother is on lunch duty. She wants to go away spontaneously and asks you to do the cooking. You don't want to leave your friend hanging and want to help, even though you don't really have time and are stressed yourself. A typical example of a monkey on your shoulders. Monkeys are favors we take on and things we are responsible for or feel responsible for. Among your monkeys, I'm sure some actually belong to others. Check in from time to time to see if monkeys are giving you a hard time that isn't yours - and return them to their owners in a friendly but firm manner for stress relief.
5. set a goal - and don't lose sight of it
We quickly lose sight of the goal in the daily madness. If you don't know your goal, you get busy with too many things that don't get you anywhere. And this fraying creates stress and makes us feel like we haven't succeeded. So: set a clear goal for the day and then achieve it. Guaranteed to bring more relaxation into everyday life!
6 Speaking of girlfriends: Limit your contacts!
Your girlfriend talks about herself for hours, but never wants to know how you are doing? Think about whether you really want such contacts. Your free time is precious, you should spend it with people who are good for you and who are really interested in you - and not put you under even more stress. Be selfish for a change. Are there people with whom you meet only out of habit or a sense of duty? Don't. If you want to manage stress, you should avoid toxic encounters as much as possible.
7. healthy nutrition de-stresses
Sometimes we drink gallons of coffee, snack on it, and wonder why we are so upset inside. Our diet affects our bodies and emotions. Your body needs strength in stressful times - and it can only get it from good nutrition. So go for fiber-rich foods like whole grains more often, and also enjoy plenty of fish, fruits, and vegetables!
8. don't get lost in the details
Preparing an important presentation for your boss and tinkering with the finer details forever? Don't get lost in the details. Your boss won't care what shade of blue you choose for the headline. Remember the 80/20 principle. We complete 80 percent of our tasks in 20 percent of the time spent. Conversely, that means we spend a lot of time on things that accomplish very little - and that creates quite a bit of stress. Before you sink your teeth into a task, stop for a moment and assess whether the effort and benefit are still in proportion.
9. music helps against stress
Music has been proven to help against stress - at least certain songs. Quiet classics, chill beats - it doesn't always have to be whale songs or the sound of the sea. A great and easy-to-implement tip if you have problems in everyday life is to give stress management a lot of space.
10. stay relaxed
Crap, yesterday you forgot to call that important client, and now you're sitting in the meeting with the wrong documents? Is everything going wrong right now? Concentrate on the positive experiences and quickly forget the negative ones, because they only cause stress. Often a loss also has a benefit. The customer you forgot about may have been rushing from one appointment to the next yesterday and has much more peace for a conversation today. Unpleasant situations often have a funny side. Take it with humor - that is much more sympathetic than dogged perfection. Besides, laughter additionally reduces stress hormones and defuses an otherwise perhaps unpleasant situation.
11. look over the garden fence
The working, single young woman next door with the two children seems to master her life effortlessly. She seems relaxed and happy; she doesn't seem to know stress. How does she do it? Find out the secret of people who have everything under control despite their busy schedules! In management, "modeling by excellence" means copying from those who do it better. You're sure to find one or two tips that you can incorporate into your everyday life.
12. listen
Relaxation journeys or meditation CDs, hypnosis apps or simply having your partner read you a nice story in the evening - there are so many options for letting yourself be calmed down by beautiful voices.
13. treat yourself to an assistant
Your assistant is a piece of paper. You don't have to keep what's written on it in your head. Sit down every night and write down what you want to do the next day. Divide your tasks into small packets, and then cross them off one by one. At the end of the day, you can see at a glance what you've accomplished. That's a lot, isn't it? Reward yourself for beating stress like this.
14. go for a walk
Take a few steps during your lunch break, the often praised evening walk - walking brings us to rest. Just concentrate on the rhythm of our steps, on what we see, hear or smell. Don't fall into a brooding, but focus on the surroundings. And enjoy - that's what mindfulness is all about.
15. look for like-minded people
If you're surrounded by stress junkies, you'll have a hard time finding peace. Find people who care about the quality of life, too. Together, it's easier to slow down. You're sure to find what you're looking for in a yoga class or Qigong. Together, you'll learn to bring more mindfulness into your lives.
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