How do I deal with stress?

“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”

How does one fight stress - at work, during a job interview, in one’s private life? What we would like to show you here are some techniques which you can use almost instantly in your everyday life to minimise the influence of the stress surrounding you.

First, think about what stresses you? Find the cause of stress. Then think about your behaviour, about how you react to stress-inducing factors? And then consider what can you do to avoid stress?

Different people deal with stress in different ways. You, too, can fight it!

Below, we present several methods which will most effectively help you to counter the tension:

• Control your stress – don’t let a stressful factor take control of your life. Try to predict stressful events in order to have time to prepare for them, by creating a stress control plan, for instance.
• Try to keep fit, to rest and do some kind of sport. Frequent and effective physical exercise is an important stress control technique and probably one of the best methods of reducing stress. It helps to get rid of physical stress and body tension and improves fitness. Exercise also relaxes tense muscles and helps you to sleep well.
• Use relaxation techniques – regular exercises such as yoga, tai-chi, meditation or even simple breath control exercises will leave you feeling calm and peaceful.
• Stay in touch with nature – the fresh scents of a forest, a walk in the park, a moment of relaxation in a meadow, the song of the birds can endow you with an energy that the concrete maze of the city will never have.
• Reduce the stress in the world around you. Try to improve the quality of your surroundings, be mindful of the quality of air (airing the space) and light, introduce plants into your room, keep your environment tidy, try to mute the noise and relax in the place which you find friendly and where you feel the most comfortable.
• If you get wound up, irritated or agitated, count to ten – in spite of appearances, that simple trick really does work. Instead of exploding, clench your teeth and count. Ten seconds gives you enough time to distance yourself from the problem and take an objective look at yourself as well.
• Watch what you eat! Some of the stress you experience may be caused by the things you eat. You can eliminate a large part of that stress by drinking less coffee, giving up smoking and by eating healthily.
• Work on yourself! Improving your self-acceptance, self-esteem and belief in your abilities is the key to success! Take care of yourself, make sure that your life flows harmoniously. Work when you have to, but make time for leisure. Stress is related both to physical and mental exhaustion. To fight it, sleep at least eight hours a day. Grant yourself small pleasures, when you’re feeling bad, watch your favourite comedy, or read a good book.
• Try to maintain good relations with your family and friends, their support will always cheer you up! Remember, it’s always worth talking to somebody who really does want to listen to you. Don't pretend to be someone who can never be wrong or show weakness. Let other people help you.
• Lead a busy social life, don’t give up going out, plan parties and events sensibly, do something for your community. Involvements like this allow you to tear your thoughts away from stress-inducing factors, at least temporarily.
• Develop your sense of humour. Remember that sometimes a problem needs to be laughed at and, as the old adage might say, ‘A laugh a day keeps the doctor away’. True indeed!
• Don’t worry about things you can’t control – it’s better to focus your attention on things within your power. Remember, you can’t change the weather or put a stop to the all the world’s wars ! So live your own life.
• Manage your time skilfully! Good time management will enable you to avoid a multitude of stressful situations. Instead leaving everything to the very last minute and then getting irritated, it’s better to plan your agenda in advance. Rationally planning your undertakings and tasks and setting achievable goals will help you to take control of your life and, in consequence, work more efficiently and effectively. Remember, don’t try to be a perfectionist. Everyone makes mistakes. Be tolerant towards yourself.
• Use your imagination! Imagination is a powerful stress- reducing tool, especially if combined with physical relaxation techniques such as breath control. Use it! Your body will react to the imaginary scenes in the same way as it does to real ones.
• To relax using your imagination, sit somewhere comfortably and calm yourself. Then, imagine a pleasant, warm, comfy and safe place and enjoy it. Don’t forget to control your breathing at the same time.

We can recommend some exercises which will help you to learn how to relax:

Polecamy kilka ćwiczeń, które pomogą Ci nabyć umiejętności relaksacyjne: