Stress affects all of us in life. Some people just tend to deal with it better than others. I went to a life coach a few years ago and he explained it to me like this: We all have a stress-o-meter. People who tend to deal with stress have a resting stress reading of 4/10. When a stressful situation comes about, they might go up to a 6 or 7/10. A person however that struggles with stress might have a resting stress reading of 8/10. The problem with this is when that person is faced with a stressful situation they go to a 10 or 11/10 and have a meltdown or the stress turns into an anxiety attack etc. You can learn to manage stress.
The first step or idea is to lower your resting stress levels.
You hear a lot about it these days. Stress is the big baddie out there on the job, in the home, and in relationships. So if everyone is managing it, why is it still a problem? Maybe we don’t understand how stress works, or at least how it works for us. Could it be that you are giving it a bigger seat at the table of your life than it needs to have? Are you making the molehill into a mountain? Learn to once and for all put stress in its place. Who is the boss of your life?
What is stress anyway?
People may guess that it’s something that makes them feel bad, yell at their kids, saps their energy, and the like. A true understanding of where stress fits into your life (yes, we said “fits in”) and where it doesn’t is a key to knowing how to handle it. Each person is different so what might work for you doesn’t necessarily work for another. While there are common signs and symptoms of stress, managing it is an individual process.
What is stress management?
Saying that it is the way that you manage stress is not really an explanation. Keep reading to find out what goes into stress management and how knowing your triggers and touchy points can head off an episode before it gets to the boiling point.
WHAT IS STRESS?
You might have heard “fight or flight” mentioned in connection with stress. In that instance, stress is good. “Fight or flight” refers to how the body readies itself when danger is near. On television, it’s hard to see exactly what is happening to characters that are facing danger. In real life, however, your body goes through a process that allows you to be able to stand your ground and fight or get away from danger as fast as you can. Here’s what happens within your body:
- Breathing speeds up to take in more oxygen. The brain and the muscles will need it for what may come next.
- Heart rate and blood pressure increase. More sugar in the blood is shunted to muscles, where it is needed should you have to use them. The blood flow is shunted to the core to decrease bleeding from external wounds you may sustain.
The body is now a sleek weapon that is ready for battle against any hostiles. This is important when you are in a car accident, facing a home invasion, involved in a natural disaster, or a hostage situation.
That type of heightened sense of self and your surroundings can save your life and/or that of others around you.
The body also expends a tremendous amount of energy to get you prepared for the fight or the flight. Once the threat is over, you can see how drained you will begin to feel as the body returns to normal.
Now, imagine feeling that state of alert all the time.
Someone who is under extreme levels of stress could be experiencing that type of physiological reaction to everything in their life, from job deadlines to relationship troubles. It doesn’t sound too healthy, does it?
In the case of fight or flight, stress is great. It alerts us to danger and also helps us to face it from a physical standpoint. But, the boogeyman is not waiting around every corner in most first-world countries. There is danger, but it is not constant.
In everyday life, stress can result as a response to unexpected circumstances. Without a game plan for dealing with what we know as “stressors,” the body begins to go into overdrive and get those booster rockets warmed up. As you might think, that level of intensity is only meant for short periods of time. If kept up chronically, the machinery of your body begins to show signs of wear and tear – resulting in a breakdown.
With all that said, stress is our response to different stimuli in our lives. When they are life-threatening, stress works in our favor. When the situation is smaller but not managed, the response may be the same. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be that way. Knowing the signs of stress can assist with heading it off.
Knowing the signs
Know the signs that you are not coping well. This is usually a sign that you are reaching the “shouting from the rooftops” danger zone. They include, but are not limited to:
- Overeating
- Not eating
- Smoking
- Drinking
- Sleeping more than usual
- Insomnia
Important to understand
I would like to suggest that the stress most times is not in the situation itself but in our perception of the situation. You might have noticed this, give the same situation to three different people. One person might be relaxed, one might be concerned and the other might be totally stressed out.
The reason for this is that all three people have a different perception of the exact same situation. The other reason is you can learn to manage stress.
How can we reduce stress?
- Book a session with a Life Coach
- There are some supplements you can take like B complex vitamins, kava and glycine
- Another great way to reduce stress is exercise. A simple thing like a walk can make a huge difference. Another great exercise is skipping
- Yoga is another great activity, its great because you can do it in the comfort in your own home. All you need is a mat and home videos.
- Meditation is another great way to lower stress. Now meditation can be a simple thing like relaxing and calming your mind. All you need is a mat and some home videos to guide you.
- Upskill yourself and learn how to manage stress. At the bottom of this post, you can subscribe and have FREE resources emailed to you.
- Purchase some good resources. A good book can teach you alot.
Conclusion
There are many practical things that can help with lowering your resting stress levels. I would suggest seeing a life coach that can assist with certain skills. If you are not able to do that, I would suggest purchasing resources or books assist with learning the skills.
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