Life can be very demanding, and it can take a toll on even the best of us. Here are five things we can do for better stress management.
We live in a fast-paced, high-stress world, where changes are wrought left and right. Pandemics, politics, and personal issues occur at a mind-boggling speed, and many of us are left grappling with the aftermath. Perhaps, you currently find yourself struggling under a heavy workload, and you don’t quite know where to begin. Or maybe someone within your family tested positive for coronavirus, and you are weighed down by the medical bills, responsibilities, and worries you have to deal with. Either way, you probably just want to catch a break.
The truth is that sometimes, life can be pretty unforgiving. As such, the best thing we can do is learn how to manage our response to whatever is thrown at us. We may not have control over the things that come our way, but we can control how we react to them.
However, before we can figure out what we need to do, we first need to know exactly what we are addressing.
How does stress work?
Have you ever found yourself in a position of intense pressure? Picture this: you are due to present a proposal in front of your company’s board of directors, but you woke up late, and now you’re stuck in traffic. You receive a message from your assistant stating that everyone’s already in the meeting room, but you’re still several miles away. Your boss calls you, reminding you that your career is on the line, but there is nothing you can do. You start feeling nervous, anxious, stressed.
Whenever you feel threatened, nervous, uncertain, or frustrated, your amygdala sends a distress signal to your brain’s command center, the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus then activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which triggers the body’s fight-or-flight response. The adrenal glands start pumping more adrenaline into the bloodstream, which leads to faster heartbeats, increased blood pressure, and rapid breathing.
The communication between the amygdala and the hypothalamus is so efficient that the brain’s visual centers struggle to catch up and process what is going on — your body reacts to stress before your conscious mind can even process it. This is why putting the brakes on stress can be so difficult. You don’t even know what is happening until you feel yourself hyperventilating.
If this is so in your case, you may be wondering if there is anything you can do to alleviate your stress. The good news is that although biology may seem to be working against you in this regard, science also comes through in providing ways to address this.
Five ways you can deal with stress:
1. Practice breathing exercises
When stress begins to take over your body, your breathing becomes shallow and more rapid, which disrupts the balance of gases in your body. This, in turn, prolongs the feelings of anxiety and stress.
To counter this, take a deep breath through your nose, then slowly release the air through your mouth. Repeat this several times until your body calms down. Some psychiatrists specifically suggest the 4-7-8 technique, where you inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, then exhale for 8 seconds. This utilizes your diaphragm in moving air in and out of your lungs, which balances the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in your blood, thereby lowering blood pressure and reducing the distribution of stress hormones.
2. Mindfulness training
Mindfulness involves centering yourself in a given moment. It is a form of concentrated meditation that enables you to stay aware of where you are and what you are feeling. When you practice mindfulness, you allow your thoughts to catch up with your body. You get to anchor yourself on the reality of your situation and accept the present. One way to do this is through mindfulness observation. This exercise helps you connect to your environment and gain awareness for everyday elements that you may otherwise overlook.
To practice mindfulness observation, you must first choose an object in your immediate surroundings. Focus on it for several minutes and note several details that you may notice about the object. Perhaps, this will even lead you to document these fascinations into journaling apps such as Grateful, as you realize that there are still things to be grateful for. After a while, you may observe that your previous concerns have been set aside, resulting in stability and a better thought process.
At first, you may find yourself wrestling with thoughts of worry and regret. That’s okay. Sit with these emotions, and then release them. Once you reconcile yourself with the fact that there are things that you just can no longer change, things that are beyond your control, you gain a more grounded perspective.
3. Guided visualization
Many people say that daydreaming is a form of escapism, as if it’s a negative thing. The truth is that positive visualization can be beneficial for you, especially during times of stress. It takes you to a place where your worries are non-existent, and for a moment in time, all is well. At first glance, this may sound contradictory to the purpose of mindfulness. After all, visualizing good things seems to be a sharp departure from facing the reality of your situation. This is why the emphasis is on guided visualization. You do not allow your thoughts to drift away from you, nor do you deny reality. You are simply redirecting your mind to get into a better headspace.
To do this, you have to close your eyes and picture your favorite resting place as vividly as you can. Immerse all your senses into the scene and let your heart rate slow. Once you feel yourself relax, gradually pull yourself out of the imagery and return your mind to the present. At this point, the tension will have been released from your body.
4. Rhythmic movement and exercise
Studies show that people who exercise regularly are less likely to crumble under stress and anxiety. Exercise produces endorphins, otherwise known as happy hormones. These chemicals act as natural painkillers, and so the more endorphins your body produces, the easier it is to kill stress. Further, exercise enhances cognitive function and improves concentration, which helps keep a person mindful and grounded. This is why life coaches routinely recommend it as a method for stress relief.
Now, you may say that you don’t have the free time to exercise, which is why you are stressed in the first place. You may also insist that your physical state is incapable of doing heavy lifting. If so, then fret not. Psychologists have proven that a 10-minute walk is as effective in relieving stress as a 45-minute hard workout. You can also choose other methods, such as Zumba, yoga, or stretching. Go with a method that would be enjoyable for you, and experience first-hand how exercise relieves both the body and the mind.
5. Verbalize your thoughts and emotions
The University of California, LA conducted research showing that verbalization of thoughts and emotions helps relieve feelings of stress and overload. This phenomenon is also known as “affect labeling,” and it has emotional regulatory effects. An easy way to do this is to engage in conversation with a friend whom you trust. Express what’s on your mind and vent about all the stressors you have been dealing with. Before you know it, you would feel as if a weight has been lifted off your shoulders, even if your friend was just there to listen. However, if you feel like your issues require a professional, then you can go ahead and talk to a therapist or a counselor. Either way, honest conversation with someone you trust releases built-up tension and helps you clarify exactly where you are struggling, which then enables you to view and address your circumstances more objectively.
You can also achieve the impact of affect labeling through the process of journaling. If you struggle with putting your thoughts down to paper, you can even consider using apps like Reflectly, which utilizes artificial intelligence to help you process your thoughts better. It’d be like you’re in conversation, but without having to worry about the other person’s judgement. While it does not have the social impact of actual conversation, it is still an avenue to relieve yourself of stress. Psychologist James Pennebaker proves this through his study, where he found that the act of writing about emotional experiences helps release the tension of inhibition and improves mental health. While you’re at it, you may also choose to write down the things that you are grateful for so that you shift from mere stress relief to the pursuit of happiness and positivity.
Everyone experiences stress, but we all deal with stress differently — and this is what makes or breaks us. As such, it is essential that we prioritize working on our stress management. Though it may seem daunting and tiresome at first, being deliberate about knowing how to relieve ourselves of stress will increase our professional performance, widen our perspective, and improve our mental health.
