We all feel stressed from time to time, thanks to the pressures of work, looking after the family, household chores and life’s little dramas. While a bit of stress is perfectly normal, if you don’t know how to manage it you can quickly start feeling overwhelmed – and it can even affect both your mental and physical health.
So, it’s important to know a few simple ways of dealing with it. Below, you’ll find a selection of handy tips that can help keep tension at bay.
Don’t skip your lunch break
Let’s start with the workplace, shall we, since this is a common cause of stress for a lot of people? It’s not unusual for someone to skip their lunch break in order to cram in an extra hour of work – and when you feel particularly pushed for time, this only becomes more tempting.
However, this is usually far less productive than you may think. By skipping your break, you’re not giving yourself a chance to recharge, which generally means you’ll work slower and less efficiently in the afternoon. So, despite working an extra hour, you might not necessarily get more done.
What you will do, though, is end up getting more stressed, because you’ll have the frustration of working more and achieving less. This also tends to mean you’ll resent the time you spend at work, which doesn’t help either!
Share your problems
The old adage of a problem shared is a problem halved is well worth listening to. Talking to someone else about the causes of your stress can have several benefits.
First of all, it can help you get a fresh perspective on how to fix your problems. Secondly, simply getting it off your chest can be wonderfully cathartic, and thirdly, it’ll make you feel supported.
Get active
Getting active is another fantastic way of battling stress. It doesn’t really matter exactly what it is you do – long walks, runs, dancing and regular sessions at the gym are all great – as long as it gets you moving.
How exactly does this help combat stress? Well, exercise is thought to help boost your mood in general, which, as you can imagine, will go some way to stopping stress in its tracks. A good workout can also help you relieve frustration and tension, as well as clear your head so you’re better able to deal with problems.
Invest in oxygen canisters
It’s also worth taking a look at what stress-busting products are out there. One of the lesser-known options is buying oxygen canisters (which you can find out more about here).
These help you deal with stress by tackling problems caused by low oxygen levels. For example, poorly ventilated offices and rooms can restrict our oxygen supply and result in issues like depression and a lack of sleep. By investing in this kind of product, though, you can counter these by regularly breathing oxygen-enriched air.
Accept you cannot control everything
This final point sounds simpler than it is, but it is well worth persevering with. People often get stressed when they feel a situation is out of their control, but the fact is that sometimes things are beyond your control – like rising food prices that cause you budgeting problems.
The key is to try not to worry about the things you can’t do anything about, and instead focus on what you can change. Using the example above, you could look at what else you can alter in your budget to balance the books, such as buying cheaper supermarket brands.
Kristy Moore, Specialist in writing about healthy lifestyle choices and improving mental and physical performance for OxyFit
