THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAYS TO HANDLE STRESS AND ANXIETY:
Dave Ikiedei Asei
25/01/2023
In our last post, we discussed the definitions of stress and anxiety as well as some of their positive consequences. Today, we'll talk about the best techniques for controlling our stress and anxiety.
Understanding stress is the first step in handling it. Although stress, worry, and anxiety are sometimes used interchangeably, there are some distinctions between them.
HAT IS STRESS?
in a sports event, or studying for an academic exam. When you face anything in your everyday life, such as moving away from home, taking final exams, or not having enough money to cover your expenses that month, you feel stress, which is a mental and physical reaction. A normal mood returns after taking action or when the tension subsides. Even good things like receiving a prize or the fear of the future.
WHAT IS WORRY:
Worry is a way of thought that involves uneasy anticipations. It can be beneficial when it results in a fruitful resolution, but it can turn toxic when it renders a person helpless. Excessive worry is characterized by its futility and repetition. People might rethink a problem repeatedly, as if they were running in place .
In America, anxiety disorders are the most prevalent type of mental illness. About 18.1% of people in the United States feel anxiety in any one year, and many more will do so throughout the course of their lives. It's critical to find new and improved methods for managing stress and worry before they develop into serious issues. The five main forms of anxiety disorders are covered in detail in publications from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
COMMON REACTIONS TO WORRY AND STRESS:
Each of us is impacted differently by stress. Here are a few typical reactions to stress and worry.
* Emotions: anxiety, guilt, shame, humiliation, impatience, rage, fear, moodiness, and a sense of being overpowered.
* Thoughts: inability to focus, self-criticism, perfectionism, trouble making decisions, forgetfulness, negative thoughts that repeat themselves, failure-related anxiety, and worry about the future.
* Acting impulsively, getting angry easily, abusing drugs, alcohol, or tobacco, sobbing, or avoiding people or places are all behaviors to watch out for.
* Symptoms include tense muscles in the neck, shoulders, and face as well as stomach discomfort, weariness, shaking, problems with hunger and sleep, dry mouth, racing heart, and perspiration.
SOME GUIDELINES FOR CONTROLLING YOIR MOMENTARY STRESS:
It takes a personal journey to manage stress. One person's solution might not be suitable for another. It's crucial to listen to your body and mind as you experiment with various methods in order to determine which is most effective for you.
Exercise, listening to soothing music, taking a warm bath or shower, engaging in hobbies and creative projects, better time management, surrounding yourself with encouraging family and friends, expressing your feelings, laughing, and focusing on the positive are all methods that may help you reduce stress during brief periods of stress.
IMPORTANT ADVICE ON HOW TO CONTROL LONG-TERM STRESS AND ANXIETY:
You could discover that you require more tension-relieving workouts in the future. These cutting-edge therapy techniques can help you cope with stress and anxiety. They may be used while you are going through a stressful situation as well as once a day for a few minutes. Your body and mind may eventually settle down as a result. Within a few weeks, they could also help you become less sensitive to stress.
TAKING DEEP BREATHS:
The simplest relaxation technique is to calm yourself by breathing slowly and rhythmically from your abdomen. Your breathing usually becomes shallow and rapid when you're anxious or agitated. You incline to relax at a deeper level when you breathe slowly and deeply.
The simplest relaxation technique is to calm yourself by breathing slowly and rhythmically from your abdomen. Your breathing usually becomes shallow and rapid when you're anxious or agitated. Physiologically, you tend to relax when you breathe deeply and slowly.
PROGRESSIVE MUSCLE RELAXATION:
You may attain a profound state of relaxation by alternating tensing and relaxing the body's primary muscle groups. After putting this into practice for a few weeks, you might be able to advance to an activity called a "Body Scan" where you can feel the tension in your muscles without having to tighten them.
VISUALIZATION OR GUIDED IMAGERY:
Using your imagination to relax is a very effective technique. You may let go of any tension and worry by being taken to a relaxing setting. In addition to using your sense of sight, you also use your senses of taste, smell, touch, and sound.
MINDFULNESS OF THINKING:
Mindfulness is the ability to stay present in the moment and be mindful of your thoughts and feelings while putting aside any judgment or appraisal of who you are or what you have gone through. You can relax and quiet yourself by being composed and nonjudgmental.
MEDITATION :
Mind and body can be relaxed through the practice of meditation. By concentrating on your breathing, a few repeated phrases, a single repeating activity, or the flickering light from a candle, meditation can help you become more aware of the present moment. You must conduct study to determine which style of meditation is appropriate for you because there are several variations.
ADVICE FOR CONTROLLING AUTOMATIC AND NEGATIVE THOUGHTS:
The automatic and misdirected negative thinking that can cause persistent worry and anxiety can be changed with the aid of these strategies.
SELF-COMPASSION:
When you battle with feelings of inadequacy, shame, and other unpleasant emotions, self-compassion is a strategy for achieving wellbeing and relaxation. Self-compassion lessens the unpleasant emotions.
TAMING PERFECTIONISM:
If you set unachievable objectives and fail to achieve them, you could experience shame, worry, disappointment, and a decline in self-esteem. Quite often, you may create a new, improbable goal in the hopes that accomplishing it will erase the first one's sense of failure. The result is typically more failure. To enhance self-awareness and find inner peace, perfectionism must be reduced and healthy striving must be replaced.
Breathing softly and regularly from your abdomen might help you relax the most quickly. When you're tense or irritated, your breathing often becomes shallow and quick. When you breathe slowly and deeply, you often feel more relaxed physiologically.
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