Resources

11 May 2021

Mental Health Awareness Week

Managing Stress

Stress is unavoidable in life. You need to set time aside to unwind or your mental and physical health can suffer. Managing stress takes practice and is needed for healthy living.

Ten ways to make it easier:

Exercise

Exercising regularly is one of the best ways to relax your body and mind. Your mood will also improve. Doing any exercise is better than not doing any at all.

So how much should you exercise every week? 30-60 minutes daily

Relax Your Muscles

When you are stressed, your muscles get tense. Stretching your body, getting a good night sleep or taking a hot bath or shower can help loosen tense muscles

 Deep Breathing

A few deep breaths help you feel better right away, once you get good at it. Just follow the following 5 steps:

  • Sit in a comfortable position with your hands in your lap and your feet on the floor. Or you can lie down.
  • Close your eyes.
  • Imagine yourself in a relaxing place. It can be on the beach, in a beautiful field of grass, or anywhere that gives you a peaceful feeling.
  • Slowly take deep (diaphragmatic) breaths in and out.
  • Do this for 5 to 10 minutes at a time.

Eat Well

Having a regular, well-balanced diet will help you feel better in general. It may also help control your moods. Your meals should consist of vegetables, fruit, grains, and lean protein for energy.  It’s not good for you to skip a meal as it can put you in a bad mood, which can actually increase your stress.

Slow Down

Modern life is so busy, and sometimes we just need to slow down and chill out. We are often rushed for time because of poor time management or we simply have too many tasks to complete on a day

  • Set your watch 5 to 10 minutes ahead so that you get to places a little early and avoid the stress of being late.
  • Break down big jobs into smaller ones. For example, don’t try to answer all 100 emails at a time – just reply a few at a time

Take a Break

You need to give your mind time off from stress. Activities you can do include:

Make Time for Hobbies

You need to set aside time for things you enjoy and make you feel good, thus relieving stress. 15 to 20 minutes will do. Relaxing hobbies can include things like:

  • Reading
  • Doing an art project
  • Playing a sport
  • Watching a movie
  • Doing puzzles
  • Playing cards and board games

Talk About Your Problems

If things are bothering you, talking about them can help lower your stress. You can talk to family members, friends, a trusted clergyman, your doctor, or a therapist.

Talking positively to yourself can help reduce stress. You need to listen closely to what you are saying or thinking to yourself when stressed out.

If you are giving yourself a negative message, change it to a positive one. For example, don’t tell yourself “I can’t do this.” Tell yourself instead: “I can do this,” or “I’m doing the best I can.”

Go Easy On Yourself

Accept that you can’t do things perfectly no matter how hard you try. You also cannot control everything in your life. So be realistic about yourself and stop thinking you can do so much.  Keep up your sense of humour as laughter goes a long way towards making you feel relaxed.

Eliminate Your Triggers

Discover the biggest causes of stress in your life. If you are able to identify what they are, see if you’re able to eliminate them from your life, or at least reduce them. Keeping a stress journal to help you identify a pattern, and then find ways to remove or reduce the triggers.

Source: WebMD Medical Reference Reviewed by Melinda Ratini, DO, MS on April 25, 2019