Some Self-help Stress Reducing Ideas

Stress—we all seem to have a lot of it these days.  The world in general is a hectic place and it takes some effort to slow down, get our work done, and still have time left in the day to have some enjoyment and the correct amount of rest.

Don’t get me wrong.  Some stress is necessary to get us up in the morning and propel us toward a productive day.  It is actually dis-stress that I’m going to talk about that can actually make us sick if we don’t take control.

Practicing some self-help techniques to reduce our stress will keep us healthier and happier.  You may think that you don’t have time for “those kinds of things” without even realizing what a toll stress is taking on your life.

Some of us who have had life-altering experiences because of near death situations or grave illnesses now realize how important it is to take time for the things that really matter in life.  Now I do realize that those things are different for everyone so you have to establish what those things mean for you.

If you are having trouble getting up in the morning and keep hitting the snooze alarm, you are probably not getting enough sleep.  Can that be due to things that you are stressing about and therefore you have a difficult time getting to sleep.  Is it because you have so much work to do that you do not get to bed early enough to get enough sleep?

Stress can also change our behavior while we are awake.  You may get angry with others without really thinking about the situation.  You may forget appointments because you are worrying about a situation you have no control over.  Stress is the largest cause of illness and even causes weight gain.  Then you get stressed because you are gaining weight.  It can be a never ending cycle.

So what can you do about it?  There are many many solutions but first you must decide that you do want to eliminate some of the stress in your life because you are aware of its devastating effects on your life and health.

After you make your decision to change, you must realize that it will take a bit of time.  Change doesn’t always happen instantly.  You can join a yoga class.  You could decide to set a bedtime and adhere to it.  You can learn to delegate some work to co-workers or other family members if you work at home.  Exercise is one of the best stress reducers there is so you can join a gym or just decide to schedule a 30-minute walk into your day every day.

There are many small things that you can do as well.  Take one day out of your weekend to prepare meals for the week and freeze them so you don’t have to stress about what to cook for dinner.  Keep your surrounding organized so you don’t get stressed over not being able to find something that you need right now.

One of the most important stress reducers is to remember to live in the NOW.  Worrying about tomorrow or yesterday causes stress on your body but is something that you’ll never be able to change through worry.  Be thankful every minute for where you are and what you have at the moment and you will soon be able to relax.

To your health

Judy Kelly

PS If you would like more information on Self-help Stress, scroll up for the free 110 Self-Help Tips.  Grab your free book now.