Stress is one of those things that we all have to deal with from time to time. It may come from a heavy workload, from having too many exams side by side, from moving to another city or country, from a failed long-lasting relationship, or any other.
What’s really interesting about stress, though, is that while it may feel like it is a part of just about every activity and every time period of our life, some people experience almost no stress at all. “But how is that possible?”, you may ask. Don’t they have a family, a future and health to worry about? Or do they just not care? Well, just like any other person, they do care, but they also do a number of things on a daily basis that helps to reduce that unnecessary tension.
To really understand why some people stress and worry so much, while others don’t, you need to look a bit deeper into yourself as an individual, but also as a living organism that has evolved over time. To help you with this, please find below the list of points that you should take into consideration if you want to learn how to deal with stress and finally find peace.
1. Exercise
The first on the list of how to deal with stress is exercise.
The order of items in the list is random, but I feel that exercise deserves to be number one, simply because physical activity is the most straight-forward way for us to fight stress and anxiety.
Normally, we think that stress is all about the mind, but in reality, this is not the case, not entirely. The mind does affect what we do in life. But similarly, what we do with our body affects how we feel on a day to day basis. As they say, our body is our temple. Whatever you do with it directly reflects on your inner world.
I go to the gym to lift weights four times a week. Before that, about five years ago, I would experience stress constantly from the tiniest problems. I was a horribly stressed out and, as a result, closed person.
But today, the quality of my life has improved tremendously thanks to sports and exercise. As a matter of fact, if I get sick and skip the gym for more than two days, I soon begin to feel how the pressure is piling up. This became especially clear when I had problems with my business.
Heavy exercising not only helps us get rid of toxins and stay fit, but also helps us to keep calm.
2. Sleep
The second item on the list of how to deal with stress is sleep.
There really isn’t much to say about sleep when it comes to dealing with stress, other than stress and sleep have a direct link. If you have much to take care of and you get very little sleep, you can be certain that you will feel anxious and stressed, regardless of how well you take care of everything else.
Having little sleep affects your mood, the ability to focus, and even your metabolism and weight. Heck, not allowing a person to sleep was once a very popular torture method. Of course, little sleep won’t drive you mad instantly, but you definitely won’t be able to cope with stress as you would when fully rested.
Please, don’t underestimate the need for sleep. It, although a basic need, is still critically important if you want to lead a happy and healthy lifestyle. I used to be careless about it, sleeping four to five hours a day for months on. I learned my lesson the hard way.
3. You are what you eat
Again, your body is your temple, and you are what you eat. What this means is that there is plenty of food that we should stay away from. On the other hand, by eating clean we can live a much better life.
Sugar is one of those things that should be under very strict control. According to livestrong.com, eating food that is high in sugar and refined starches will spike our blood sugar levels. This causes our body to release different hormones, including cortisol, to keep the sugar levels down. Cortisol is a stress hormone, which means that having a lot of it often in the system can be bad for your health.
The more organic or natural your diet is, the better your body will feel, and therefore, your mind.
4. Coffee, alcohol, nicotine and the rest
The fourth item on the list of how to deal with stress concerns various drugs.
Coffee may be a much weaker drug than alcohol or some street drugs, but its excessive consumption also leads to high levels of cortisol, just as explained in point number three. Moreover, because coffee is a stimulant, it can make some people, including me, anxious.
I used to drink a lot of coffee at work and then feel stressed out about something and nothing at the same time, nothing that I could comprehend. It’s a really unpleasant feeling that nobody likes, yet the same people keep on doing this to themselves simply because they cannot give coffee up. I personally haven’t quit coffee completely, but I am now consciously limiting it.
Nicotine has some of the coffee side effects, except it’s much worse. It’s a horrible addiction. Don’t ever start. I say this as someone who used to smoke.
Alcohol.. well, alcohol is just alcohol. If you are able to drink responsibly and in moderation, then you shouldn’t be too worried. I am more concerned about the horrible hangovers that make your heart pound so hard that it feels like it’s about to jump out. The amount of stress experienced during these days is also something that nobody should go through.
The only way to be sure that you never go over the line with any substance is to be totally sober, which means being happy, healthy and alert, something that is a requirement for any person that is trying to make their dreams a reality.
5. Find your happy place
I am a big fan of the 1996 movie – “Happy Gilmore”. I remember when in that movie, Adam Sandler went mentally to his happy place in order to make the perfect shot in golf. No spoilers though. 🙂
If you want to learn how to deal with stress properly, then you need to find your own happy place, mental or physical. You need to make sure that your happy place is the place in which no one can bother you, and in which you find peace and tranquility. Your happy place will be that place where you forget that stress exists.
For me, my happy place is to an extent the gym, but even more so the forest. I love to walk in the forest and to think about nothing other than life and nature. It calms me very much.
6. Shuffle your days
Every now and then we fall into a pattern in which all days seem to be very alike. From the moment we wake up, we know exactly what the rest of the day will look like. This isn’t a great way to live life, in my opinion, but sometimes it’s just the way things are for various reasons.
When you see that your “Groundhog Day” has come to reality, it’s time to shuffle things around. Be creative, be unpredictable (in a good way, of course), and find something different to do. Go out and meet people, take guitar lessons or learn a new language. Do something that will take your mind off all the stress.
A lot of change can make us uncomfortable and stressed, but a bit of change that we actually are looking for, ironically, will leave us less time for worry. When you are busy and your life’s exciting, you have less time to stress.
7. Meditation
The last but not least on the list of how to deal with stress is meditation and/or yoga.
Meditation is something that I have been doing now for maybe around ten years. Similar to physical exercise, I can’t imagine my life without it. It’s just helped me in so many ways. You can read more about it here: Why Meditation Is So Life Changing: 6 Reasons to Meditate Every Day
Some people think that meditation has something to do with Buddhism, but this is not true. There are, of course, specific Buddhist meditation techniques, but I am not referring to those. I am focusing here on the most basic meditation that everyone can and should do.
If you want to take it a step further, you can also do Yoga, which is something that I have done for many years as well. Honestly, it’s great and it will require a bit more of your time. But if it’s something you are interested in, then, by all means, try it.
Both yoga and meditation have largely shaped who I am today. Both have taught me how to be calm, how to control my emotions, and most importantly, how to be human.
I hope you found these seven proven ways on how to deal with stress useful. If you would like to add something, make sure you let me know about it in the comment section below.
Thank you for stopping by and good luck!
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