What to do when you are stressed

What do you value most – your health or being always right?

by Elia Strange

1. Sometimes it's not worth participating in an argument or proving your point of view when you feel you are becoming stressed. Leave it. Or at least leave it for an hour, until you become calmer and are able to collect your thoughts.



2. Adopt a healthy lifestyle – start learning about healthy eating and what it does to our bodies. You will see that what we eat is strongly connected to how we feel. I think this approach is very useful when dealing with long-term stress. Focusing on your own health will make you want to look after yourself and reduce your stress whenever you can.



3. Find an activity that is enjoyable, and make time for it.
For example, I decided to start walking more often (I live in a countryside, so that helps). Even when I'm tired, I tell myself that I'll walk only for 10-15 minutes and then I'll come back home. What often happens, is that I walk for much longer.

Go for a walk and think about what you need to do (this evening, tomorrow, next weekend), if that's not too stressful of course, or think about things in your life that you are grateful for. Learn to relax and change your thoughts to more positive ones.



4. Learn to forgive and move on – accept that sometimes it’s not possible to get a ‘closure’ on something from the past.

For example, I had a situation in my adolescence when my close friend betrayed me. For years, I was learning to ‘forgive’ him. Not that I would go out for a drink with him again, but I accepted the fact that the situation is 15 years old and that I’ll never meet that person to tell him what I feel (he lived in another country).

Eventually, through some thinking and written processes I was able to let it go. Then, a few months ago I’ve learned that this person died 2 years ago, and I didn’t know anything about it. So, sometimes 'closure’ is possible. Not by talking to anther person, but through your forgiveness of the situation. Just leave this ‘thing’ in the past, because that’s where it belongs...



5. Learn to relax. For example, learn about breathing techniques, or how to meditate or to do reiki. Or just relax with a cup of tea and some nice music. For example, I like to read books before bedtime. I don't read anything that is criminal or violent. Usually I read a book on self-development.

Also, I make sure that I watch some interesting entertaining documentaries or comedy films at least a couple of times a week. My mood is so much better after watching them. So, find the activities you enjoy doing, and the main thing - make the time to do them!



6. Accept your own limitations and set realistic goals. If you put big goals for yourself to achieve, you may find yourself get disappointed as the goal is too big or seems too far. Make a string of small goals that will eventually lead to the big change of your life. This way, you can tick them off as you go. Every time you tick a goal, you will feel better and more positive.



7. Stop worrying. We can never be certain about anything. There is no point in worrying about what might or might not happen. Or what would've happened if you had done something different in the past. Life moves on. Accept that whatever happens in our lives is for a reason. That works for me.

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Other articles you might be interested in:

What is assertiveness

How do we choose partners and friends

Do I have a sleep disorder

22 Finding on sugar (or why sugar is bad for us)


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