When you deal with stress at work or in your personal life, the best way to deal with it is by finding the cause of it. Mostly, people try to indulge in quick and easy coping mechanisms like binge eating, alcohol or caffeine, which disrupts our well-being in the long run.
Instead, we are here to give you 10 practical ways to handle stress in a healthy manner.
1. Get moving:
Work out at the gym, go for a long walk outdoors or join a Pilates session. Keeping your body active clears your thoughts and decreases emotional distress.
2. Socialize:
Talking to your family, friends, and colleagues relaxes the mind and brings you to the present moment. Socializing is a fun and easy way to cope with stress. Hugs from loved ones increase the ‘love hormone’ called oxytocin. It positively impacts stress and anxiety.
3. ‘Me’ Time:
In this fast-moving world, we often work hard and forget to take time for ourselves. Taking time to rejuvenate ourselves is more important and necessary. Take up a new hobby like gardening or crocheting. Find time for leisure activities and games.
4. Work Smarter:
Scheduling tasks for 20 hours a day will make you feel stressed. Prioritize the tasks at hand and delegate the unimportant tasks. Set realistic goals and deadlines to challenge yourself. Avoiding burnout can prevent falling under stress.
5. Positive Mindset:
Keeping a positive mindset about life reduces negative energy and stress in work and personal life. Practice gratitude journaling. Write three things you are grateful for in a gratitude journal every day.
6. Accept when you can’t change:
Change what you can, and accept what you can’t. Knowing the difference between these two will improve the quality of your life. Instead, focus your energy on the problems that you can solve.
7. Creative Space:
Drawing and painting artwork is a proven method of handling stress. Creativity distracts the brain from the problems at hand. Colouring a picture also have the same effect on stress handling as painting or drawing.
8. Healthy Lifestyle:
Good sleep, a balanced diet, and exercise keep the body and mind healthy. Taking some multivitamins also reduces stress.
9. Sing:
When you sing, the brain releases hormones like oxytocin and endorphins that decrease stress levels. You don’t have to be good at singing to reap the benefits. A few minutes of shower singing is enough.
10. Remove the stressors:
Cut the things out that cause strain on your emotional and mental well-being. Caffeine found in coffee, tea, cola and alcohol do not deal with stress but increase it. Take a social detox at least once a week by unplugging yourself from digital devices. Connect with real life by strolling in the park without any gadgets.
By following these healthy coping mechanisms, we can enjoy life more and keep ourselves robust and happy.
