9 Stress Management Tips

Stress. We all feel it with responsibilities, work, and family. You may even experience chronic stress, which doesn’t seem like it will ever end. No matter how hard you try, your muscles are tight, and you feel like everything is a house of cards, ready for the next breeze. You could use some stress management tips.

However, stress is a natural response. Our bodies use stress to escape from or confront danger. The problem lies in how our minds perceive stressful situations. Lions no longer chase us. Instead, we must confront the monthly mortgage payment, the news of layoffs at work, or the death of a loved one.

Stress is inevitable. However, we can implement stress management tips to ease the tension and reduce the risk of physical illnesses and mental conditions.

Why too much stress can be harmful

Chronic stress is responsible for declining health in tens of thousands of people in the U.S. each year, according to a study published in Health Psychology. More than 28,000 people believed that too much stress could negatively impact their health. Those who thought that chronic stress was harmful and experienced heavy stress had an increased risk of premature death.

Stress triggers the release of cortisol, the stress hormone. However, too much cortisol can lead to:

• Chronic inflammation
• High blood pressure
• Rapid heart rate
• Tachycardia
• Rapid weight gain or loss
• Digestive issues
• Stomach pain.
• Headaches
• Muscle tension
• Sleep issues
• Lower immunity
• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Panic attacks

You can see why we need stress management tips more than ever to reduce stress and anxiety. Our physical, mental, and emotional health depends on how we react to and manage stressful situations.

Some stress management tips

Most of the stress management surrounds lifestyle choices. Poor lifestyle choices can exacerbate symptoms and lead to physical decline. Healthy lifestyle choices can decrease risk and extend life. The problem is that many of us choose short-term temporary relief or comfortable tasks instead of looking at the long-term state of our health. Challenge yourself to make these stress management tips part of your routine. Choose one or two initially and build a habit around it until it is second nature.

If you need help learning to create habits, set goals, and build routines, consult a counselor or read a book like Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones by James Clear.

Learn to say no

A great deal of stress could be from stretching yourself too thin between responsibilities and opportunities. Not every good opportunity is for you. When you say yes to one thing, you are, in essence, saying no to something else. The latter might be your peace.

Learn to say no and create boundaries. Figure out what values are important to you and protect those. For example, if your main values are your relationship with your children, your peace, and your health, you would reconsider any opportunity that would take away more time from your children or damage your health. Count the real cost and decide if it is the best decision for you. Excessive stress results when your values and choices are misaligned.

Take five

When you feel that the stress is too much, take five (or ten or fifteen) minutes to pause and disconnect your mind from the problems. Maybe this means practicing deep breathing, reading a few pages of a novel, or giving yourself a neck massage. The point is to take a few minutes to recenter, gain clarity, and feel peace.

Rest is an essential component of self-care and reducing stress levels. Spending a few minutes resting can lower blood pressure, regulate heart rate, breathe deeply, and problem-solve. Decide on an activity or two you will do the next time you feel stressed.

Prioritize sleep

Just as rest is essential, prioritizing sleep is one of the most effective stress management tips. When you are sleep deprived, your immunity lowers, you have trouble concentrating on tasks, and you are easily agitated. Sleep is a mood regulator and helps your body and mind recover.

Are you missing sleep because you stay up after your children go to bed so you can have time to yourself or to finish work? Although it may seem like a good idea at the time, sleep deprivation will harm your physical and mental health. Try pushing bedtime up by 15 minutes each night until you reach a time that will allow you to sleep seven to nine hours.

Go for a walk

Walking is a form of physical movement that almost anyone can do anywhere. It can boost mood, relieve stress and muscle tension, lower blood pressure and heart rate, and improve flexibility.

Consider taking a few short walks throughout the day to release tension and clear your mind. Walking outdoors involves all the senses and promotes a peaceful mind. If you cannot walk outdoors, walk around your home or office. There are walking videos online you can stream for free to get started.

Create a playlist

To center your mind, prepare a playlist of your favorite songs. Choose songs that make you feel good. Maybe songs from childhood or adolescence will bring back comforting memories. Perhaps you prefer upbeat and inspiring songs to light a fire under you or classic symphony pieces to transport you somewhere else.

Create a playlist of songs and have them available when stress is at its highest. You may want to play your list at night before bed as you wind down. Make it part of your nighttime routine.

Engage in a hobby

When busy, the first thing we typically remove from our days is our hobbies. Yet, these hobbies make our hearts feel full. When you focus on a hobby, your mind stays in the present and activates your creativity. Learning a new activity creates new neural pathways in the brain, which can help with cognitive function and hormones.

Make a list of your favorite hobbies and schedule one or two into your calendar. Consider these activities as important appointments that you need to keep.

Eat a balanced meal

The foods we eat can work like medicine or poison to the body and brain. It is critical that we eat healthy, balanced meals of lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, heart-healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates in the appropriate portions.

Foods that are processed and contain added sugars and ingredients can make us sick and promote chronic inflammation. Avoid caffeine, sugar, and alcohol, as these can aggravate anxiety symptoms.

List meals you want to make this week to soothe your anxiety and stress. Start small, perhaps with a menu plan for dinners for the first week. If you need help, consult with a counselor or nutritionist.

Journal

Writing your thoughts and emotions in a journal can help remove them from the forefront of your mind and allow you to rest. Many people find that writing in the morning helps to set the tone for the day, while others find writing before bed clears their minds for a good night’s sleep.

Try a time that works best for you to journal. You may prefer morning, evening, or a few times throughout the day.

Practice time management

Often, we become stressed because we do not control our time. Everyone has the same 24 hours every day, yet some people seem to be on top of their responsibilities and commitments. Those people have probably learned time management skills.

Consult with a counselor to learn new skills to help you control your time. If you need a starter idea, try the Pomodoro Technique. With this effective method, you block out 25 minutes to focus solely on a task, then take a five-minute break before continuing.

Seek help for stress and anxiety

Are you looking for more than stress management tips? Do you need a professional to guide you through stress management techniques and help you address the root of your stress and anxiety? Contact us at California Christian Counseling today to speak to a member of our reception team. Our reception team will match you with a Christian counselor in California specializing in anxiety and personal development. Contact us today to get started.