Stress Relief Methods

Best Stress Relief Methods

Wouldn’t you just love to snap your fingers and suddenly appear in a hammock  between two palm trees on a warm sunny beach somewhere? I know I would.

It can happen, but like anything worth having, it requires careful thought, planning and saving a few nickels and dimes. Until you find yourself resting comfortably on that beach, what can you do right now to help relieve some of the stress you feel?

Here are ten proven ways to help you reduce the stress you feel everyday. I know they work, because they each have made a dramatic improvement in the quality of my own life. If you will take consistent intelligent action and truly impliment them in your life beginning today, I promise you that you will begin to see and feel the results within a very short amount of time. Most of them will seem like common sense, however, sometimes we need to be reminded of just how complicated we have made our lives to be.

1 Eat and drink sensibly. Alcohol and food abuse may seem to reduce stress, but it actually adds to it. At one time in my life, I became very depressed and gained more then 40 pounds by eating myself into a state of what I thought was comfort and security. That’s a lie we convince ourselves is true. No void in your life can be filled with food or alcohol. That’s the bottom line. Without learning to identify the root cause of your stress and anxiety, you will never be able to change what you do not first acknowledge.

2 Assert yourself. You do not have to meet others’ expectations or demands. It’s okay to say “No.” Remember, being assertive allows you to stand up for your rights and beliefs while respecting those of others. Now, I’m not telling you to give yourself permission to be a jerk to other people. I’m telling you that ” we teach people how to treat us” and that it’s important to create boundaries in your life. You can only do so much and I promise you that you’ll never please everyone no matter how hard you work at it or try.

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3 Stop smoking or other bad habits. Okay, half of you reading this just rolled your eyes. I saw that. Aside from the obvious health risks of cigarettes, nicotine acts as a stimulant and brings on more stress symptoms. Give yourself the gift of dropping unhealthy habits. That’s all I’m going to say about this. Because if you don’t care and respect yourself enough to do what ever you need too to end these cycles of self abuse, then you will pay the consequences with your health and that’s just a proven fact. I can talk till I’m blue in the face and if you aren’t ready, it simply won’t do any good. You know who you are.

4 Exercise regularly. Choose non-competitive exercise and set reasonable goals. Aerobic exercise has been shown to release endorphins (natural substances that help you feel better and maintain a positive attitude). This has been one of the most effective tools for me personally. I love to go for brisk walks and get my heart pumping. Especially with a group of friends. It can be a lot of fun and it will help you to release those bottled up emotions you feel inside.

5 Study and practice relaxation techniques. Relax every day. Do it for you. Choose from a variety of different techniques. Combine opposites; a time for deep relaxation and a time for aerobic exercise is a sure way to protect your body from the effects of stress. I teach a ton of different ways t0 relax deeper then you have ever relaxed yourself before in my course and also in my life seminars. These deep relaxation techniques require a serious commitment on your part and proper expert training can actually make you look and feel younger over time.

6 Take responsibility. Control what you can and leave behind what you cannot control. Enough said. It’s that simple.

7 Reduce the stressors (cause of stress). Many people find that life is filled with too many demands and too little time. For the most part, these demands are ones we have chosen. Effective time-management skills involve asking for help when appropriate, setting priorities, pacing yourself, and taking time out for yourself like. Without these skills firmly in place, your life can quickly become overwhelming and the stress and become too much to handle. I see this happen to often in my personal coaching evaluations. People just run their lives on auto pilot without the proper skills in place to manage it effectively. It’s a serious problem that can cause you tremendous stress fast.

8 Examine your values and live by them. The more your actions reflect your core beliefs, the better you will feel, no matter how busy your life is. Use your values when choosing your activities. Listen to your instinct and learn to trust it.

9 Set realistic goals and expectations. It’s okay, and healthy, to realize you cannot be 100% successful at everything at once. This is something I have struggled with my entire life. It wasn’t until I learned specifically how to surrender and achieve what I can, that my life began to not only be more pleasurable, but take on more personal meaning to me as well. I guess you could say that I found my purpose in life by surrendering to my own unrealistic expectations. This one skill can be life changing.

10 Sell yourself to yourself. When you are feeling overwhelmed, remind yourself of what you do well. Have a healthy sense of self-esteem. Appreciate the good things you do and the things you have accomplished, even if no one else will. You can begin to feel happy and healthy right now, even if you don’t. You can choose to live with an attitude of gratitude everyday and I assure you that this simple mental shift in your thinking can change the quality of life you live today.

One very important point I want to make is that any stress that is the result of trauma, sexual or physical abuse, or a psychological disorder, can only be addressed by a mental health professional. There is no way around this. If this is you or someone you love, I urge you to get the professional help you need right away.

And should you need help finding that help, I have put together a list of resources HERE for you to explore.