As a health writer for 20 years I realized I knew a lot about how to deal with stress, so I started putting it into action. Now everyone comments on how calm, relaxed and grounded I am – and you can be too by making some simple lifestyle changes. We know that stress can destroy health, happiness and relationships and that’s something I have personal experience of, as I am sure you have too. For many of us we are moody, have problems sleeping and usually head for those comforters of food or alcohol.
When we are stressed our normal routines can be hard to hold on to. We don’t eat properly, we aren’t sleeping well and there is just too much to do in any one day. I learned that establishing a regular routine will help you feel more in control and therefore less stressed.
Try to establish a good diet with not too many stimulants or overuse of tobacco or alcohol and if you are not sleeping well, don’t stay up late at night until you hope you will be tired, instead try to maintain a regular time that you go to bed and get up each day, and this will help your internal body clock
Look at what you have to fit into a day and realistically try to establish priorities. What is essential, what would be good to do and what could be postponed? Prioritise so that you tackle the important things first and get a sense of achievement from finishing something rather than trying to do too many things at once.
Some simple tips: Does your stress come from too many people making demands on you so that you often find yourself saying “yes” when in fact you mean “no”? Are you always late for things? Do you get frustrated knowing you could have done a better job if you had organised your time better? |It’s about simplifying your daily routine so have a close look at it and see what changes are possible for you to make. If saying no is a problem then that is something that won’t change overnight, and you might want to get some expert help from an assertiveness management course or book.
The tip here is to start saying no to small and relatively unimportant things that have no real emotional impact for you. You get to practice in safety and it is much easier on things like saying no to an extra cup of coffee or not taking a free leaflet from someone in the street. A polite but clear ‘no thank you’ might take a bit of practice but definitely gets easier the more you do it.
Remember you have the right to say no to someone else who is making demands of you. Be pleasant, and clear and tell them you appreciate them asking, but it’s not something you can do right now.Stop justifying your actions to yourself or others because that truly can be very stressful and it isn’t necessary. It may be a hard habit to break, but you don’t have to give reasons for your refusal to do anything, it’s your right just to say no without having to justify it. It might take a bit of practice, but it is definitely a stress reducer.
Dealing with stress can be daunting, but you can do it. One step at a time will make all the difference to how you feel. Take it slowly and you won’t get overwhelmed, but you will start to feel better.
‘How To Handle Stress’ was written by AnnA to help others with the practical tips she herself has put into practice. The ebook comes with a valuable bonus on Attitude and Illness, and to find out more visit http://www.sortingstressout.com
AnnA also produces free email newsletters on health and personal development at http://www.catalystonline.co.uk
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