Everyone has stress in their lives.
Some just have more than others.
And some have more good stress than bad stress.
It’s hard to see outside of our own situations, though. If we are in a stressful situation, we think we are the only ones in this world who have ever experienced what we are going through. And we tend to think that no one else has ever had it so bad.
The fact is, there is always someone who has it worse off than we do.
Maybe you are having a hard time paying your mortgage and it is totally stressing you out.
But the guy down the street could have just lost his house. And although that’s bad, there’s someone sleeping under the bridge in the park tonight.
Maybe you only have enough money to buy the basic necessities this week; there isn’t enough for quick foods, snacks and fun stuff.
But the person in the aisle over is having to choose between bread and milk.
And the lady at the counter is paying in food benefits.
And there’s someone heading to the food shelf while another person is outside digging in the garbage cans.
It’s hard to see outside of our own situation. Our emotions cloud our view of reality. And when you are stressed out, the emotions are flying high.
But not all stress is bad.
Good stress is the kind you get when you sell a house, make a move, start a new job, graduate from high school, get married or have a baby. Good stress is the stress that comes along with life changes – good life changes. Everyone has a few changes in their lives that should be happy occasions.
Just because it is happy and good, however, doesn’t mean it is stress-free.
Anything that requires a little planning and preparation may create stress. Situations that takes us out of our usual routine or comfort zone may create stress. And anything that doesn’t come easy for us can create stress.
I hate planning parties and entertaining.
Yet, as a mom, it is something I have to do many times a year; there’s birthdays, graduations, confirmations, first communions, all kinds of celebrations my kids have that require a party.
And although it is a happy occasion, it is highly stressful for me because it is something I am not good at and something I do not enjoy. During these occasions, I may often feel anxious, over-whelmed, resentment and embarrassment ~ all feelings I am wiling to put up with simply because I love my children and want to celebrate their milestones.
Everyday occurrences can cause us stress as well; in fact, they may be the ones we are most familiar with. Our careers and family can be wonderful parts of our lives, but they can also induce stress. Kids can be incredibly stressful at times. A relationship with a spouse or partner can feel stressful on occasion as well. Maybe the commute to work is tough, or there’s a deadline that needs to be met. All of these events ~ and many more daily events ~ can raise our stress levels.
So what makes some people look like they have little to no stress in their lives?
Probably the way they handle that stress.
We all have stress.
But we don’t all respond to it in the same way.
Some of us have amazingly healthy coping skills.
And some of us have coping skills, but they aren’t helping us, and may actually be harming us.
And then there’s those of us without coping skills – we just duck and hide and hope it all goes away.
How well do you handle stress?
Do you have a few good healthy habits? Are you overeating, drinking too much or binge-watching TV when you are stressed out? Or do you duck and hide?
If you have a few bad coping mechanisms that you aim to replace, check out this list of good ways to handle stress. Maybe it’s time to incorporate a few of these baby’s in to your life.
Handling stress well first starts with healthy daily habits. Take care of your body and it will take care of you. Dump on your body and it will dump on you – adding only more stress to your life.
Take Care of Your Body
1. Exercise
Exercise increases adrenaline, energy levels and gets the blood and oxygen flowing through your body better. It also relieves stress, anxiety and anger and replaces it with the good happy chemicals called endorphins. Any kind of exercise will work: walking, running, dancing swimming, lifting weights, bike riding. There is bound to be a form of exercise that works for you.
2. Eat Right
Filling your body with junk will only make you feel, well, junky. Who needs to feel junky when they are combatting mountains of stress? Eating right gives you the right nutrients to fight off the feelings of overwhelm, anger and anxiety – and all of the related chemicals your body will release under those feelings. Healthy eating gives you more energy and just helps you to feel overall, well, better.
3. Drink plenty of water
Water is a great way to cleanse our body of toxins. And there are loads of toxins released in to our system when we are stressed out. Get rid of them! Get your daily iota of water intake. It will do you good, help you feel better and think more clearly.
4. Get plenty of sleep
There is nothing that will add to your stress level like exhaustion can. There is a reason sleep deprivation is a form of torture. Your body cannot function properly without adequate sleep. Be sure you are getting enough.
Find Creative Outlets For Your Stress
5. Journal or write
Writing out our thoughts or feelings is a great way to release them without harming anyone else. Sometimes, as an added benefit, you can find thought patterns, stressors or ways to solve problems in your writing that you weren’t aware of before you started writing.
6. Use the arts – paint, sculpture, clay, photography, etc.
Working with your hands and tapping in to the creative side of your brain is a great way to shift your thinking from linear in to a more open, creative state. Sometimes taking your mind off of the problem and shifting gears in to something more creative can open the door to a new way of looking at the situation. You may just have an epiphany while doing something artistic!
7. Crafts & hobbies – scrapbook, DIY, cook, bake, paint
Not the artsy kind? Crafts and hobbies have the same affect – taking you out of that linear thinking in to something more creative and abstract. It can be anything that you enjoy, really.
8. Read
Reading is a great way to escape reality for a while. It won’t solve any problems for you, but it will give you a break from your situation.
9. Garden
There is actually something incredibly therapeutic about putting your hands in the dirt. So if you like to garden or work with flowers & plants, do it when you are stressed out. Or, make it a part of your daily or weekly routine.
10. Music
You can listen to it, create it or sing it. Music is a great way to release stress. Music can pump you up, get you motivated, or calm you down. Ever notice how a song can take you somewhere else? I go back to my favorite summers when some songs come on, and certain country songs always make me feel all cozy and warm – I like them on a cold winter day.
Find Ways To Relax When You Are Stressed Out
11. Light some candles and take a bath
The soothing smells, sounds and the feel of the warm water will relax you and take your mind off of your troubles for a bit.
12. Sit in the sun
The vitamin D from the sun will lift your mood, and the warmth on your skin is an added bonus.
13. Take a vacation
While planning the vacation might cause added stress, it might be worth the benefits from the actual vacation itself. Sometimes we just need to get away from it all for a while, kick back and have some fun.
14. Hang out with friends or family
Surround yourself with the people you love and have some fun! Take your mind off of your troubles. Laugh a little, smile a little. It’ll lift your spirits.
15. Play with your pet
Pets are very therapeutic. Caring for them will take your mind off of yourself. But they are also incredibly loyal and not judgmental at all. They will love you no matter what. Snuggle them, talk to them and play with them. You’ll be happy you did.
16. Bird Watch
Some find being out with nature and enjoying its beauty to be very relaxing. Try bird watching or focusing on butterflies.
Work On Tackling The Reason For The Stress Itself
17. Create new routines & habits that address the stressor
Maybe you need to get up earlier, go to bed earlier or spend more time alone. Depending on what it is that stresses you out, you may need to find new ways to address that stressor. It might mean staying away from certain people or surrounding yourself with certain people. Maybe you need a job change or a new way of approaching your job. Whatever it is, make some changes to address it.
18. Organize
Maybe you need to reorganize how you approach your day. Maybe your thoughts or emotions need some organization to them. Or maybe your physical space needs to be reorganized. Tackle whatever area of your life it is that that stress lives in and organize it!
Clean it out, declutter, and then add some structure, routine, new habits and a better way of thinking.
19. Clean
Clean your house, yard, car or office. The physical act of cleaning helps you to feel more in control of your day. You can extend that to cleaning out your mental facilities or emotional hurts as well, letting go of what is no longer working for you, just as you would in getting rid of the stuff you no longer use in your home.
20. Talk to someone
Find someone in your life that you trust and talk to them about your stress. Sometimes taking the problem outside of ourselves opens new doors for us. Maybe your friend has a different way of seeing the situation or can offer some tips or advice.
21. See a professional
If you have no one in your life, or if your situation requires professional help, see a counselor or a therapist.
22. Count your blessings
If you find yourself focusing on what is going wrong in your life instead of all the things that have gone well, start listing the things you are grateful for. Start with the very basics: You are alive. You can breathe. There are people who struggle and fight for every single breath they take. Be thankful yours comes naturally, without thinking about it. List the things you are thankful for in a notebook. Spend five to ten minutes every morning writing out as many as you can think of.
23. Listen to uplifting, motivational podcasts, talk shows & inspirational speakers
Surround yourself with people who speak positively, look at the bright side and inspire you to do the same. Fill your mind with can-do messages.
24. Pray
If you are a spiritual person, pray or meditate in whatever form you believe in. Putting faith, hope and trust in to a higher power often can help to work past stress and negativity.
Believing that all things work out for a reason helps to handle the situation at hand and keeps hope alive for the future.
25. Work on eliminating the stressors
Actively tackle the causes of the stress. Set a goal, make a plan and work towards eliminating whatever stressful situation you are facing.
These habits are all great habits to incorporate in to your every – day routine, even when you are not stressed out. You don’t need to wait to be completely at your wit’s end before you try some of these. Roll them in to your day to day and you will automatically start handling your stress better, without any additional effort on your part.
Got any others? Leave them in the comments below!