Are You Feeling Stressed
Tips that could help you
I haven’t written a mental health article in awhile so I knew that it was time. With 2024 coming to a close soon and holiday functions also, some people might be starting to stress a little. Some of you might even be thinking that another year is almost over and what have I done during it? Well, that is something that only you know, but if you are stressed over it, some of these tips might help.
One thing that I feel strongly about is journaling. I find that if your mind is overactive and you have so many thoughts fluttering around, writing it down on paper helps. See, when you write it down, it gets some of those thoughts out of your head. And when it’s out of your head, you won’t stress over it as much. For some reason we think that our brain is a high tech computer that can hold an endless amount of information. It is true that we can retain a lot but, holding all of that in our brain can affect us emotionally. A computer doesn’t have feelings like we do.
Another tip is to get some exercise. Take a nice walk and get the circulation in your body moving. Or dance to your favorite music, go for a swim or even a bike ride. By getting some exercise, it will release the endorphins that are locked away inside your brain that help you to feel better. The activity will also take the focus off whatever is stressing you out at least for a little while.
Hobbies and special activities will also release some stress. Make time for yourself and do something that you really enjoy. Draw a picture, do some gardening, sit down and read a good book. Whatever it is that you like to do, make time to do it. You will feel better when you do.
Don’t use alcohol or drugs and think that those will take away your stress because they won’t. If anything they might create more stressful problems for you.
Find a way to manage your time better. Don’t feel that you need to promise time to everyone you know. If you already have three things that you need to do in a day, schedule them in for another time. If you take on too much, you will get stressed out quicker. All the people who really care about you will understand. If they don’t understand right away, they will after they think about it.
Create space and boundaries with people. Again, the people who really care will understand. If you need some time from someone just explain it to them. Take a day and go out for awhile. This is why it is good for each person to have something that they like to do without the other. It is true that time apart makes the heart grow fonder. Or let’s say that you have a coworker who you need some space from. If you can, request a day off. If not, ask the coworker to do a different task that day. Explain to them that you just aren’t feeling well and would like some space. Some will understand and some won’t, but that is not your problem.
That brings me to being assertive and not aggressive. Share your feelings and opinions without becoming angry. Try not to become defensive or passive either. I know that sometimes it is easier said then done but always try. If you want someone to understand how you feel then try and understand their feelings as well. If a person seems to have a toxic personality, then that person isn’t right for you. Avoid people who seem toxic, argumentative, selfish, and high strung. They will only create more stress for you.
Try and keep a positive outlook in life. Yes, we all will have struggles but don’t live your life focused on those struggles. Live your life believing that it is good and could be worse. Don’t believe that the grass is always greener on the other side, because it’s not. Believe that you have the greenest grass with occasional weeds that pop up. Our lives are what we want to make it. You have the mind power to be happy in most situations. If not right away, just work at it.
We also need to accept the things that we cannot control. Things like the death of loved ones or mother nature. We also have no control over what another person will do or say to us. We can only control how we handle the situation. We can choose to let what the person says or does harm us or choose to be strong and let go of it or them. We always have control of the choices that we make in life. If someone tries to control that part of your life, then that person isn’t for you.
Connect with people who are good for you. People who will listen to you and try to help you. If you feel sad and low for a few weeks, seek professional help. They will help you to understand what might be going on inside your brain and body. Talk with a therapist or counselor and learn about your emotions and thoughts. Some might even help you learn stress management. There are people out there who are willing to help you.
A few more things that are very important when it comes to controlling stress are; a good nights sleep, meditation, and diet. We all know that if we don’t get enough sleep, we can get cranky. But being cranky isn’t really the problem. If you become sleep deprived, your mood, focus, thought process, activity and health can be at risk. Our bodies need time to reset in order to function properly and the way it does that is when we have good sleep. This is why six to eight hours a night is important. And two things that will help with sleep is our diet, what and when we eat, and meditation.
What we eat is important because if you fill up on carbs and sugar, you will not sleep well at all. You are guaranteed to crash and then wake up during the night. But if you eat a balanced diet with proteins and certain carbohydrates, your sleep should be better. See a nutritionist to help you out with your diet. Then, doing meditation, will help your mind and body relax. Meditation will help you to let go of some of the stresses that your mind and body might be holding. A relaxed mind will definitely help your body to relax unless you have other health issues. Always talk to your doctor if you feel that something isn’t quite right with you.
Some will also find that gentle stretching of the body will release some tension created by stress, if meditation isn’t for you. Our minds and our bodies are so connected that how we treat them affects them both. That is why the use of alcohol and drugs are not the best answer. Seek help if you believe that drugs and alcohol will help your situation. There is always someone out there who will help guide you.
In conclusion, stress is not our friend. It is hard to avoid stress all together so that is why we have things that we can do to lower our stress or change stressful situations. And if for some reason your emotions get uncontrollable, seek help. Talk to a good friend or family member about the problem and if more help is needed, don’t be ashamed to ask for help. Everyone struggles from time to time and sometimes we need a professional opinion. Also be open to change because many times professionals will see something toxic in our lives that we don’t.
Take care and God bless.