If you’re stressed, within your work place or by personal circumstances, the most important thing to do is to stop and take a step back, write down all the things that you feel are causing you to be stressed.
Ask yourself a question, Can I change my situation or is it out of my control? If you are able to change the situation then work on changing it. If you are unable to change the situation and it is out of your control then simply but it down and let it go.
If stress is having a negative effect on your mood and you are feeling low, talk to someone who will listen to you and give you support. Making connections with family and friends can help you to gain a better perspective on the stressful situation.
Try to be active by going for walks, swimming or sort of activity that will help you reduce the effects of the stress hormone. This will help to clear your thought process.
Take back control of your life, the art of control is very empowering and will allow you to revaluate your life and start the process of making small positive changes each day.
Self-Care is important, how some me time allow time for you, by investing time for yourself to do things just for you will help you to unplug from stressful situation. You are the most important person to you so set time aside for you.
Be aware of unhealthy habits that might be adding to your stress and how you manage stress. Make a list of things that you feel may be adding to the way you feel. Then work on reducing the list in a healthy way, (one at a time).
Think of a time in your life when you did not feel the effects of damaging stress. Try and remember how you managed stressful situations. Try to reconnect back to you the person who was able to better manage stress.
Sleep is the most important thing you can do to help you manage stress. Develop a healthy sleep hygiene routine by ensuring that you bedroom is cool and dark. Never go to bed to sleep go to bed to relax, this can be supported by soft relaxing music or taking a nice relaxing bath before you go to bed. Spend 15 minutes each night before you get into bed free writing your thoughts in a note book. This will help you to empty the mind chatter allowing you to let go of stressful thoughts.
Prioritising your life will help you to identify what is important to you. Think of how you would like to live your life and try to move towards your dreams.
Pay attention to the use of negative language as negative language will become part of your narrative in life. This may contribute to the way you manage stress. Think positive and be optimistic in the way you approach problems in work and in your personal life. This will enable you to let go of the emotional content and stay healthy.
Sometimes we may need to accept the things we cannot change and change the things we can change, this is how we develop our resilience and flexibility to life’s adversities