Five Stress Busting Tips

Stress is something that will affect every single on of us at some point in our lives. There are of course different types of stress and not all stress is negative. Indeed, we all need a bit of stress otherwise we may not achieve anything. A bit of positive stress can help us to do better, meet deadlines and achieve the things we want to. This type of stress is called eustress.

Stress can of course be negative too and it’s the negative types of stress that cause problems.

There is acute stress, which is the most common form of stress and occurs when faced with a new challenge or situation. Something may trigger your flight or fight response and the body’s way of naturally reacting to that can be in the form of acute stress. Acute stress can become episodic, which is when bouts of acute stress keep happening. This can be more challenging to overcome as sufferers will often accept stress as part of their lives and find it difficult to make positive changes.

Chronic stress can happen when acute stress isn’t resolved. This type of stress is long term and be very detrimental to the sufferer’s wellbeing. Physical illness can occur as a result of experiencing chronic stress.

Traumatic stress is when there is an accumulation of stress that builds and becomes too much for the sufferer to handle. In such cases there needs to be an intervention that could involve therapy and medical treatment.
Finally, hypostress happens when someone feels bored or unchallenged. For example, they may be in a job that is tedious and this results in a struggle to remain motivated.

However, when stress begins to take over there are ways in which you can help yourself. Here are my top five stress busting tips.

1. Identify what is causing the stress. If you can pinpoint what is leading to the stress you are feeling, you can overcome it by making necessary changes. It may involve removing yourself from a situation or removing someone from your life, but it will be worth it when the stress starts to alleviate.
2. Try to remain positive. Yes, this may be challenging when you are feeling stressed, but the way you think can shape the way you feel. If there is a particular thing that causes you to feel stressed, try thinking about that thing in a different way. It’s about making sure your glass is half full rather than half empty. Give positive thinking a go and notice how less stressed you feel.
3. Take a step back. If you are feeling overwhelmed due to stress, take a step back and have some time out. This could be taking ten minutes to sit down with a cuppa, but it may be having a day or even a week off if that is possible. Taking time to step back will enable you to calm down, reduce your stress levels and consider how you can manage it differently.
4. Get some sleep. Stress can lead to a lack of sleep but having a routine that involves going to bed at the same time each night and getting up at the same time each morning can help you to get enough sleep. It’s also ok to have a nap during the day if you need to. Not getting enough sleep will cause more stress as you will be tired, irritable and things may get to you more than usual. So, a routine and getting enough sleep will definitely help.
5. Exercise regularly. Whether it’s a walk locally, a run around a park, swimming, cycling, going to the gym or doing an exercise class, working out is known to be a big stress buster. You can let out all the stress with a burst of energy that benefits your body as well as your mind.

A bonus tip is to know when to get help. You don’t have to suffer with stress in silence. Help is available via your GP or indeed via counselling or hypnotherapy. Stress doesn’t need to be an accepted part of your life. We all deserve to live our lives free of negative stress, so do seek help if you need to.