Stress Management Tips
The
following are some simple, helpful ways of acting to help reduce the possible impact or likelihood
of unhealthy stress:
Do:
Think of
your body as a machine with a limited supply of energy, which
needs regular care, maintenance and rest to function properly.
Therefore:
- Eat a balanced nutritious diet with regular meal times
- Engage in regular light to moderate exercise
- If you can, set priorities in your daily tasks and concentrate on essentials, rather than feeling that you have to do everything perfectly.
- Take reasonable time to make important decisions, seeking reliable advice where appropriate
- Plan ahead where you know a stressful situation is coming up so that you are prepared for how you want to manage it
- Take some time each week to relax
- If at all possible, take short breaks in the day rather than continuing for very long periods at a stressful task without a break
Don't:
Generally,
the following are not recommended:
- Don't eat too much junk food or sweet things such as chocolate or other sugary products - which can produce mood swings (obviously an exception is if you have a medical condition where your doctor has recommended a particular intake of sugar)
- Don't try to 'self medicate' by drinking alcohol to relieve stress or anxiety - alcohol is a depressant drug and can alter your mood for the worse, despite its apparent initial relaxing effects (NB If you are drinking very high amounts of alcohol on a regular basis, stopping altogether immediately could be dangerous. If in any doubt, seek medical advice as to the appropriate pace at which to cut down)
- Be wary of drinking too much caffeine - it is a stimulant drug which can alter your mood and increase anxiety if you are prone to be anxious.
- Don't expect yourself to be perfect. Nobody is perfect. You are valuable as an individual human being whatever you feel about yourself or what you "should" be like.
The other main aspect of dealing with stress is around your mental, emotional or psychological approach to whatever situation you are finding stressful. A good coach can help you with this side of dealing with stress. In particular the use of cognitive behavioural coaching techniques (CBT) can assist you to gain more control of your life and deal more effectively with difficult thoughts.
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For information about the telephone life coaching service that I offer please click on the link below:
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