Stress: Simple Tips to Reduce Stress Quickly and Easily
We all know the word stress and most of us know when we are stressed, but do you know the symptoms that show you are overly stressed?
If you do, you can catch them early and there are some exercises and techniques explained below that can allow you to beat them before you need medication.
Symptoms of stress
Most of the time, when you are stressed, you will notice a tightening of the muscles, usually in the hands and arms, sometimes in the legs and feet.
Your blood pressure will rise and so will your skin temperature. These are normal responses to your natural “fight or flight” reflex.
If you are a bit observant and watch yourself closely, you can identify these stress responses from your body.
Short-term stress is good. Long-term stress is deadly
If the above stress responses occur because you are in some kind of danger and have to protect yourself (fighting or running away), then stress is good. However, they must be controlled.
A good example is being in a long line at the airport, with a nasty airline employee greeting you after your turn finally comes. The employee can stress you out to high limits and you need all of his self-control.
You will see your stress symptoms appear.
Your quick reaction is needed. You must assert yourself and get the employee to do their job, quickly and courteously.
Your fight will be by mental and verbal means. This short-term stress was a good thing.
Your body’s reactions were healthy for you and all of your natural antioxidants ran throughout your body to scavenge the free radicals that were present.
However, if you suffer from the above symptoms of an aggressive boss or coworker at work on a daily basis, you are heading for real trouble.
Daily stress:
o Weaken your immune system.
o Cause various organs to malfunction or fail.
o Produces unwanted chemicals (hormones and enzymes) in your system.
Eventually, you will get sick if you put yourself through daily stress that has the ability to produce stressful reactions.
From stress! And beat the stress
If you understand that your stress is becoming chronic, you should begin to de-stress at the sign of the first symptoms.
It is easy; anyone can do it, anywhere. Follow these steps exactly, you will de-stress in one go.
o Initial deep breath. Stop for a moment, whatever you are doing, and take three deep, deep breaths. Close your eyes and visualize the air rushing into your lungs with healing energy and rushing out of your lungs with expended energy filled with stress.
o Retire! Wherever it is, there will be a bathroom. Go there at once. Wash your face and especially your wrists with cold water. Feel the cool water that brings you balance (from overheating causing stress). Your skin temperature will drop! While you’re alone, take a deep breath like the next step
o Take three more deep breaths, but this time double the inhale response and the exhale response. This is done by taking two breaths, a short one, followed by a longer breath. The exhalation is the same, double. At the end of three double deep breaths, you will be back to normal.
o The last step is to wait. Sit back, sit down (a bathroom is an ideal place) and wait about 3 minutes. Feel yourself back to normal.
You are ready to face the world again, de-stressed. Remember, do these exercises every time you feel prolonged stress, as short stress is good for you, but long term stress is a killer. Take care of yourself!