Are you stressed? Don’t worry, we won’t test you. But if you’ve been facing stress symptoms such as sweating, irritability, or emotional swings, it may be time to chill out. Many situations can cause stress, such as a fight with a friend, a schedule change at work, a loss of a loved one or something as simple as missing the bus.
Long-term effects of “the stress monster” can cause you to start (or continue) smoking, overeat and may even lower your immune system. Here are 11 ways to subtract worry from your life and add calm – which equals a better day for everyone in your life, including you!
1. Speak
Write down a favorite saying, religious verse or word that helps you relax. Keep it with you at all times, folded up in your pocket or purse. The saying could be a verse, a simple word like “love” or “quiet,” or a reminding phrase like “I am calm.” If you can, say the word out loud, repeating it until you feel the stress melting.
2. Relax
Tense and relax muscles in your arms, legs or body – try tightening your hand into a fist, for example – squeezing it as hard as you can for five seconds – then letting your entire hand go limp for 30 seconds. Repeat up your arm to your neck and head, or from your toes to head.
3. Think
People with positive thoughts better deal with stress. Don’t say anything cruel or mean to yourself that you wouldn’t say to someone else. Also, avoid friends who are always negative. Encourage yourself! Practice saying things like:
“I like learning new things and making changes.”
“I take good care of people.”
“I’m creative and will try hard to succeed.”
4. Laugh
Laughter with customers, coworkers and friends reduces stress. Watch a funny TV show or your favorite silly movie, keep a book of jokes in your purse or listen to a comedian on your break.
5. Visualize
Imagine a beautiful place where you feel safe, loved and at peace. Include as many details as possible to make you feel like you’re really there. For example, are you in your mother’s kitchen? Imagine the smell of her perfume, sunlight through a window, and dinner in the oven.
6. Activity
Follow a few of the activity tips on Page 6 on a break, in the evening, or before work for a quick mood-booster. Stretch to loosen muscles that have been tightened by stress, anger or frustration. It will feel good – and may also send the body a signal that you’re no longer under attack.
7. Breathe
Take deep “belly breaths” while counting to slow your heart rate and decrease irritability. Breathe in, pushing your stomach out, then breathe out, pulling your belly button in. You are breathing with your diaphragm, lower in your body than the lungs. Pay attention to how your muscles relax and you feel more calm as you proceed. Stretch.
8. Reward
After a particularly stressful day, enjoy your favorite activity – perhaps taking a bath with Epsom salts (to reduce muscle tension), listening to your favorite band or singer (extra points if it’s calm music), or going to bed a little early with a beloved book.
9. Call
Call a good friend and ask her to just listen (not solve your problems). Talking to a friend or family member about your difficult day or a frustrating situation helps reduce stress. If you know you’re going to have a stressful day, ask a friend, “Will you be around tonight if I need to call?”
10. Tend
Imagine your social support network like a garden – you need to seed and care to keep it growing. To help it blossom, join a church, mosque or other religious community, take a free or inexpensive community college class, volunteer, and call friends back.
11. Thank
Say thank you and offer appreciation for wonderful things in your life, whether small (a smile from a consumer) or big (a batch of cookies you received from a friend). Take a few moments on your break to say thank you or offer a compliment, and make someone else’s day more beautiful.
