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Stress Management TechniquesThese stress management techniques help you take control of stress. You only need to scan the news to know that stress is a part of life. However, it does not have to be a way of life! These strategies for coping with stress will give you greater control. Stress is reaching epidemic proportions. We are working longer hours, balancing more commitments, and dealing with more information than ever before. Stress feels like a hurricane coming at you from all directions. Bills are piling up, pressure of deadlines at work, demanding family responsibilities....! We have all been there! While stress may feel like familiar territory, the simple fact is that we may be living with an unhealthy amount of stress.
Stress Relief Games Stress management does not have to be a chore! Stress relief games can be a fun way to reduce stress. Health professionals estimate that 75-85% of illnesses are precipitated or aggravated by stress. This makes stress relief important for your health! These stress management techniques give you the skills for dealing with stress. Stress management techniques and healthMany of the best athletes, public speakers, and leaders will tell you that stress can be a motivating force that pushes you to reach your potential. But the type of stress that we are talking - the bad type of stress - has reached epidemic proportions. Too much stress for too long can be bad for your health! When you are faced with unrelenting pressure, it is easy to think that this just goes with the territory. You may even consider that you are adapting to more and more stress as work keeps piling up! But you may simply be living with an unhealthy amount of stress!
Chronic stress, in which the fight or flight response is constantly activated, impacts on your immune system and overall health. Have you ever noticed that after periods of chronic stress you get sick or feel run down? BUT stress does not just impact on your immune system - it can have a serious impact on your health. Stress has been linked to heart disease and tumors. Stress and health are closely connected. Chronic stress and health When I give presentations on stress I often demonstrate the effect of chronic stress on health. I hold out a cup of water and ask the students "How heavy is this cup of water?" I tell them "The weight of the water does not matter. If I hold the cup of water for 5 minutes I will get a sore wrist and fingers; if I hold it for one hour I will start to get cramps in my shoulder and arm; if I hold the cup overnight then it is likely I will need to go to the hospital" The point I am trying to make is that what matters is how long I hold the cup of water. This is similar to the stress encountered on a daily basis. If you don't find time to recuperate and recharge your batteries then stress can harm your health. There are a number of stress management techniques you can employ that range from exercise to progressive muscle relaxation, from meditation to breathing exercises. There are many causes of stress and relaxation techniques that activate the relaxation response counter the effects of stress. Make a time in your time management planner to practice daily to recuperate, recharge, and reduce the chances of fatigue, burnout, and stress-related illnesses. Some stress management techniquesDeciding on the stress management technique to use is a little like choosing your favorite dish at a restaurant. First, each of us is different and has different tastes and prefers different dishes. Second, stress symptoms affect each person differently. What are Your Stress Causes? Everybody has experienced stress in their life - whether you were stuck in a traffic jam, presenting a report to colleagues, or feeling the pressure of work overload or family responsibilities. One of the first steps to take in stress relief is identifying the causes of stress and the effects of stress on you. Download your free stress diary and identify your stress causes? You may make life more enjoyable and productive by recognizing the causes of your stress and then taking active steps to manage stress. There are a number of different stress management techniques that you may choose from. What is important is that you use one that works for you! Since each person is unique, the preferred option for one person may not work for another person. I encourage you to try different techniques and see what works for you.
A proved stress management technique is biofeedback. All biofeedback techniques combine the power of the mind with technology. Biofeedback trains you to become more aware of the changes that occur in your body following stress and gives you more control on how stress affects you. Biofeedback trains your mind to modify your symptoms of stress.
What Techniques Do You Use? Do you use breathing exercises, PMR, meditation, or like to exercise to deal with stress? Please take our stress management poll and let us know. Do you notice that you breathe from the chest or sometimes hold your breath when you are stressed? A common symptom of stress is to breathe shallowly from your chest. Breathing is one of the easiest ways to get your stress under control. These breathing exercises teach you to breath from the diaphragm to reduce stress.
Elite athletes and top performers across a number of areas use mental imagery to visualize success. Mental imagery is also used to reduce stress and create a deep state of relaxation. You may reap the benefits of using the mind for stress relief by visualization of a calm and soothing experience and/or the stress flowing out of your body.
You don't have to sit on top of a mountain dressed in long robes to benefit from meditation. Meditation is used by millions of people across the globe to enhance focus and clarity. Meditation provides a sense of control and purpose. Some different meditation techniques are provided on this stress management website
Most people have a silent conversation with themselves many times during the day. This is known as 'self talk.' When your self talk is positive - "Everything will work out" or "I can do it" - then you are more likely to succeed. When you self talk is negative - "I know I will have a lousy time" or "I'm not good enough" - then you reduce your self-esteem and lower your chances of success. Negative self talk increases your stress. Positive thinking uses the power of your thoughts to change the way that you perceive a stressful event.
Hypnosis puts you into a state of relaxed and focused attention in which your subconscious can be primed for suggestions of change. See how hypnosis may make a change in your life with these ideas and tips on self hypnosis Each of these stress management relaxation techniques has been shown to induce the relaxation response and provide stress relief. Search here for other stress management techniques Your personality and stressYour personality may influence how you deal with stress. Our definition of stress is that stress is a perception of demands facing you and the resources to deal with it. Thus stress is subjective and unique to the individual. For example, have you ever noticed that some people, no matter what the situation, view the cup as half-full while others always see it as half-empty. Some people always seem impatient, competitive and take a 'hard-driving' approach to everything, while others are more relaxed and easy-going. What I have described here are personality characteristics that are related to optimism and pessimism, and the Type A and Type B behavior patterns. These two types of personality characteristics are related to different styles of coping with stress.
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