When you’re stressed, it’s easy to feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders.
Whether you’re under an intense amount of pressure at work, home or both, it’s hard to focus and be productive when your mind is moving in a million different directions at once.
In a 2014 poll conducted by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health, half of all adults — more than 115 million people — said they experienced a major stressful event in the past year. It may not be completely unavoidable, but knowing how to stay in control of elevated stress levels can make all the difference.
4 Stress Management Techniques to Improve Your Well-Being
Take Care of Your Body
For many people, a natural reaction to feeling overwhelmed is eating comfort foods, consuming alcohol and staying up far too late to meet deadlines, but this will only make things worse. Instead, force yourself to exercise, follow a healthy diet, avoid alcohol and go to bed at a reasonable hour. When you take care of yourself, you’re much better equipped to handle stress.
Create Realistic Goals
You’re an incredibly talented person, but you’re only human. Stop setting and/or agreeing to deadlines that are completely unreasonable, as this sets you up for failure. As a high achiever, you’re naturally inclined to push yourself, but there’s a fine line between working hard and overextending yourself, so stop crossing it.
Step Away for a Few Minutes
Sure, you can’t take a month-long tropical vacation when you’re super busy, but you can give yourself a 15-minute time out. Use this break to step away from your desk and get some fresh air outside. Giving your brain a much-needed rest for a few minutes allows you to calm down, put things in perspective and recharge, so you can come back to work in a much better place.
Do Something That Makes You Happy
Being stressed is incredibly unpleasant, so balance out the negative energy by doing something you enjoy. Even spending just a few minutes reading a book, meeting a friend for coffee, taking your dog for a walk or watching your favorite television show relaxes your mind and allows you to decompress.
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