Reducing Stressful Episodes Part I
Some people are able to cope with stressful situations more easily than others. When you have stressful moments in your life, it is important to remember to know your limits and how to adjust your life to reduce the moments of stress.
By creating better ways to cope with stress, you will minimize the damages it can cause on your mind, body and soul. The most common life stressors are work, finances, death of a loved one, a new birth or serious illness. All of these need a regimen to help you move through them. I’m going to go through 13 different tips to help you create that regimen. Here are the first three tips:
1. Reorganize your life with some clear and achievable goals and avoid starting projects without all the necessary tools.
If you feel like your life is spinning out of control, take a look at your calendar and start setting some boundaries for yourself. If you want to move up in your career, make a goal to take a class that will increase your knowledge, or ask your supervisor for more training. If you are looking to lose weight or stop smoking, set a realistic and achievable goal of losing 2 pounds each week or you would like to be smoking only 2 cigarettes per week in one month.
Once you have your goals set, make sure you have all the tools you need before starting your goals. Did you set up a study schedule for your new classes? Did you do the grocery shopping and fill your kitchen with clean and healthy choices? Did you only buy one pack of cigarettes this week?
2. Learn how to say “no” and manage your time effectively.
It is perfectly healthy and ok to politely decline to do certain activities, plans or outings if you see your calendar is already tight and you don’t have any free time marked off for you.
Make sure you schedule your “down time” like you would schedule a doctor’s appointment. If you like taking a walk with your neighbor every other night, make sure it is on your calendar. If you like taking an exercise class three nights a week after work, make sure it is on your calendar. When it is on your calendar you are held accountable for that time. Make it a necessity to create that time for YOU.
3. Make a vacation possible every year, create space in your day to meditate or find a hobby and exercise regularly as well as staying intimate with your significant other.
The statistics are incredible when it comes to Americans not taking their vacations. Make time to get away, even if it is for only a couple of days. Your mind, body and soul need this time to recuperate and regenerate all its cells.
Find time each day to spend 5-10 minutes in quiet stillness. It could be reading a book, walking around a park, lying in the grass looking at the clouds or listening to the birds or water near a river or pond.
Do some form of exercise every day; walking, running, yoga, Pilates, Zumba, strength training or biking.
Spend quality time listening, talking, giving and receiving with your significant other. Ask them to tell you three positive things that happened each day and one negative thing.
How have you reorganized your life, said “no” or created that vacation or meditation space in your life?
