Be good at dealing with stress
Coping with stress will not only make you stronger but your loved ones and those around you as well
So what?
Are you ever stressed? If your answer is no, you’re lying to yourself. Being aware of your stress and managing it will allow you to:
- Get better, higher quality sleep which may lead to requiring less sleep;
- Have better weight manager whether you are trying to gain, maintain or lose those pounds;
- Be in a better mood and mental mindset; and
- Socialise with your family and friends in a more meaningful way.
Types of stress
There are two types of stress: expected stress and unexpected stress. If you know that you are about to walk into a stressful situation, planning ahead is the key to managing the stress. If you unexpectedly face a stressful situation, you will have to train yourself to deal with it head on. Regardless, managing the aftermath is as important for both types of stress.
Planning ahead
You will reduce your stress level and frustration by planning your time and effort. The simplest and proven method of time and effort management and planning is creating a to-do list and prioritising your daily demands and other to-do’s.
Will you be walking into a stressful situation? Preparing yourself and your environment would be beneficial for you. Do this by:
- Devising a plan for how the upcoming event will play out;
- Thinking through different ways your interactions will go; and
- Breathing deeply or meditating to relax prior to facing stressful situations.
In a stressful situation
Do you find yourself in an unexpected, stressful situation? The best approach that we found to work is simply to breathe. Check out our link on breathing for more information on the importance and benefits of breathing.
Managing stressful situations
As mentioned in the beginning, managing the aftermath of stressful situations is as important as planning and learning to face stressful situations. You need to recover from stress in order for you to avoid excess burden on your physical and mental health. Ways to manage include:
- Listening to binaural sounds or relaxing music;
- Talking to a friend or counsellor;
- Talking to yourself; and
- Eating a healthier diet (i.e. less sugary snacks and more fruits and veggies).
My experience
As parents of two young ones and a fur baby, we often find ourselves in stressful situations that are unplanned, unexpected and inevitable. The best and simplest thing that I always turn to is taught by our 7 year old daughter. Simply “breathe in, breath out, breathe in, breathe out”.
What now?
- About to face a stressful event? Plan ahead.
- Find yourself in a stressful situation? Breathe.