What Are Some Techniques To Reduce Stress

Can Stress Be Positive

Research has shown that stress can sometimes be positive. It can make you more alert and help you perform better in certain situations.2 However, stress has only been found to be beneficial if it is short-lived.

Excessive or prolonged stress can contribute to illness such as heart disease3 and mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.4

Delegate Tasks To Team Members

Many hard-working employees or managers find it difficult to ask for help, fearing that they may look incompetent or lazy. But according to Harvard Business Review, time management is one of the largest concerns facing businesses today. One survey shows that almost half of businesses have concerns about the way employees delegate, and yet very fewonly 28%actually offer any training for managers and employees. Keep in mind that no small business owner ever achieved success on their own they all had help.

Make sure that you and your employees know how to delegate properly and not only will you be more productive, but everyone will have less work stress.

For Maximum Stress Relief Add Mindfulness To Your Workout

While simply engaging in rhythmic exercise will help you relieve stress, adding a mindfulness component can benefit you even more.

As with meditation, mindful exercise requires being fully engaged in the present moment, paying attention to how your body feels right now, rather than your daily worries or concerns. Instead of zoning out or staring at a TV as you exercise, focus on the sensations in your limbs and how your breathing complements your movement.

If youre walking or running, for example, focus on the sensation of your feet touching the ground, the rhythm of your breath, and the feeling of the wind against your face. If youre resistance training, focus on coordinating your breathing with your movements and pay attention to how your body feels as you raise and lower the weights. And when your mind wanders to other thoughts, gently return your focus to your breathing and movement.

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Make Time For Leisure Activities

Leisure activities can be a wonderful way to relieve stress. Yet, many people feel as though their lives are too busy for hobbies, games, or extra fun.

But building time for leisure into your schedule could be key to helping you feel your best. And when you feel better, you’ll perform better, which means leisure time may make your work time more efficient.

Whether you find joy in caring for a garden or you like making quilts, hobbies and leisure are key to living your best life.

How Stress Affects The Body

Common symptoms of stress include:

• A fast heartbeat.
• An upset stomach, nausea, or diarrhea.

Over time, stress can affect your:

• Immune system. Constant stress can make you more likely to get sick more often. And if you have a chronic illness such as AIDS, stress can make your symptoms worse.
• Heart. Stress is linked to high blood pressure, abnormal heartbeat , blood clots, and hardening of the arteries . It’s also linked to coronary artery disease, heart attack, and heart failure.
• Muscles. Constant tension from stress can lead to neck, shoulder, and low back pain. Stress may make rheumatoid arthritis worse.
• Stomach. If you have stomach problems, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease or irritable bowel syndrome, stress can make your symptoms worse.
• Reproductive organs. Stress is linked to low fertility, erection problems, problems during pregnancy, and painful menstrual periods.
• Lungs. Stress can make symptoms of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease worse.
• Skin. Skin problems such as acne and psoriasis are made worse by stress.

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Appetite Changes And Weight Gain

Changes in appetite are common during times of stress.

When you feel stressed out, you may find yourself with no appetite at all or overeating without noticing.

One small 2006 study of 272 female college students found that 81 percent reported that they experienced changes in appetite when they were stressed out, with 62 percent stating they had an increase in appetite .

Changes in appetite may also cause fluctuations in weight during stressful periods. For example, a study involving 1,355 people in the United States found that stress was associated with weight gain in adults already living with extra weight .

A third study from 2017 found that individuals with higher cortisol and insulin levels and higher levels of chronic stress were more likely to gain weight in the future . However, the study was limited in the scope of research in that participants were predominantly white females.

While these studies show an association between stress and changes in appetite or weight, more studies are needed to understand other possible factors are involved and how stress impacts different people.

Body Scanning To Reduce Stress

The practice of body scanning involves unifying the breath with progressive muscle relaxation. First, one practices five minutes of deep breathing exercises. The individual then shifts their attention to a particular area of the body or group of muscles, consciously releasing any tension noticed in each area.

Research shows that body scanning reduces stress and promotes feelings of calm and centeredness.

Also Check: How To Handle Mental Stress

Treat Yourself To A Massage

Massage therapy is another effective way to reduce stress levels. Research shows that massages reduce cortisol, the hormone that regulates the immune system and the bodys response to stress, by an average of 31%. Cortisol also boosts the feel-good hormones dopamine and serotonin by 31% and 28% respectively.

Great Techniques For Reducing Stress In The Workplace

Workplace stress is a big problem throughout the United States. In fact, the use of antidepressants in the U.S. has risen 400% since 1994, with about 1 in 10 people on some kind of relaxant or mood-elevating drug.

Not only does all this stress make for a less-than-pleasant experience for your workforce, but it also takes a major toll on your budget, the health of your staff, and employee turnover rate. According to Fairleigh Dickenson University, 75% of people report being stressed on the jobat a cost to employers of $200 billion annually, when sick days, lowered productivity and mistakes, and healthcare costs are factored in.

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Relaxation Technique #: Deep Breathing

With its focus on full, cleansing breaths, deep breathing is a simple yet powerful relaxation technique. Its easy to learn, can be practiced almost anywhere, and provides a quick way to get your stress levels in check. Deep breathing is the cornerstone of many other relaxation practices, too, and can be combined with other relaxing elements such as aromatherapy and music. While apps and audio downloads can guide you through the process, all you really need is a few minutes and a place to sit quietly or stretch out.

Be Clear On Requirements

A factor known to contribute to job burnout is unclear requirements for employees. If you dont know exactly what is expected of you, or if the requirements for your role keep changing with little notice, you might become extremely stressed.

If you find yourself never knowing if what you are doing is enough, it may help to have a talk with your supervisor. You can take the time to go over expectations and discuss strategies for meeting them. This can relieve stress for both of you!

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Learn To Avoid Procrastination

Another way to take control of your stress is to stay on top of your priorities and stop procrastinating.

Procrastination can lead you to act reactively, leaving you scrambling to catch up. This can cause stress, which negatively affects your health and sleep quality .

Get in the habit of making a to-do list organized by priority. Give yourself realistic deadlines and work your way down the list.

Work on the things that need to get done today and give yourself chunks of uninterrupted time, as switching between tasks or multitasking can be stressful itself.

summary

Prioritize what needs to get done and make time for it. Staying on top of your to-do list can help ward off procrastination-related stress.

Yoga has become a popular method of stress relief and exercise among all age groups.

While yoga styles differ, most share a common goal to join your body and mind.

Yoga primarily does this by increasing body and breath awareness.

Some studies have examined yogas effect on mental health. Overall, research has found that yoga can enhance mood and may even be as effective as antidepressant drugs at treating depression and anxiety .

However, many of these studies are limited, and there are still questions about how yoga works to achieve stress reduction.

In general, the benefit of yoga for stress and anxiety seems to be related to its effect on your nervous system and stress response.

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Offer Yourself Forgiveness And Compassion

Forgiving yourself for procrastinating in the past may help reduce the chances youll procrastinate again in the future.

Just like the forgiveness you might offer someone who wronged you, self-forgiveness allows you to let go of past events and move forward.

So, instead of giving yourself a hard time, tell yourself its all right:

Waiting to do that project didnt turn out so well, but its OK to make mistakes. Now I know what not to do next time.

Self-compassion can also go a long way toward easing the harsh criticism and self-blame that tend to trail in procrastinations wake.

Instead of focusing on how you messed up , offer yourself some words of comfort.

If it helps, consider what you might say to a friend:

• It sounds like youre struggling right now, but I can tell youre doing your best.
• That assignment sounds really stressful. I know you want to do the best work possible, but its just a first draft, right? You can always improve on it later if your team has any suggestions.

Dont you deserve that same kindness?

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Look At Your Lifestyle

The choices you make about the way you live affect your stress level. Your lifestyle may not cause stress on its own, but it can prevent your body from recovering from it. Try to:

• Find a balance between personal, work, and family needs. This isn’t easy. Start by looking at how you spend your time. Maybe there are things that you don’t need to do at all. Finding a balance can be especially hard during the holidays.
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A Better Way To Manage Your Finances

With Hiveage you can send elegant invoices to your customers, accept online payments, and manage your team all in one place.

But dont worry! There are many ways to reduce stress at work. Here are ten simple and effective techniques that you can implement immediately to ensure that both you and your employees are calm, happy, and productive!

Also Check: How To Lower Stress Hormones

Laughing And Support Groups

While many believe that laughter is the best medicine, studies have already proven that laughing promotes many physical and mental health benefits. For instance, it can boost your immune system, can make your brain and muscles relax, can slow down the production of stress hormones, and can help the production of endorphins.

Plus, your support group may also provide their strategies in coping with such disturbing symptoms. Lastly, do not be afraid to talk to your doctor or mental health professional about what you are going through. They can provide or recommend therapy or medical intervention for your well-being.

When To Speak With Your Healthcare Provider

If you continue to feel overwhelmed by your stress and none of the self-help strategies are working, speak with your healthcare provider to refer you to a psychologist or mental health professional. They can help you recognize, prevent, and cope with stressful situations to better manage your response.

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Understanding The Unique Challenges Of Entrepreneurship

The mental health aspects of entrepreneurship have been ignored for too long. This is partly because its been viewed as much as a sufferfest as a career path. Proponents of this martyr-like approach throw around damaging mottos such as sleep is for losers and rise and grind. They foolishly proclaim that if youre not beating yourself up, youre not going to be able to beat the competition down.

Furthermore, theres an insidious trend that suggests successful entrepreneurs also must sacrifice their relationships. Thus, business owners stop seeing their friends and become strangers even to their own families. Marooned on their entrepreneurial islands, the proponents of the sufferfest mentality will tell you that these business owners can now finally get down to business.

Dont buy into this rubbish.

Yes, running a business requires sacrifices. You wont be able to go golfing with your friends nearly as often as youd like. Youll definitely miss some of your family members events, such as dance recitals and soccer games. Meals will be skipped. There will be plenty of late nights where sleep becomes an afterthought as you struggle to fit all your obligations into a 24-hour period.

But there is NO reason that pursuing your entrepreneurial dreams should come at the expense of your health and happiness. Your wellbeing still matters, as do your relationships with others.

Top 10 Stress Management Techniques For Students

Most students experience significant amounts of stress, and this stress can take a significant toll on health, happiness, and grades. For example, a study by the American Psychological Association found that teens report stress levels similar to that of adults.

That means teens are experiencing significant levels of chronic stress, and that they feel their levels of stress generally exceed their ability to cope effectively. Roughly 30% report feeling overwhelmed, depressed, or sad because of it.

Stress can affect health-related behaviors like sleep patterns, diet, and exercise as well, taking a larger toll. Given that nearly half of APA survey respondents reported completing three hours of homework per night in addition to their full day of school work and extracurriculars, this is understandable.

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Best Ways To Manage Stress

Goal setting and relaxation techniques reduce stress and ease the physical and emotional burdenit can take.

Stressful experiences come in many forms, such as a demanding job, a chronic disease, or an argument with a loved one. But all types of stressorseven stress from positive experiences,such as planning a partycan result in the same physical and emotional burden on health, especially when you’re an older adult. “As we age, our immune systems are less efficient, and adding stress to that can lead to disease progression or the onset of disease,” says Dr. Ann Webster, a health psychologist at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.

Realize That Stress Isnt Always Bad

One interesting study by Yale University researchers found that when people have a positive attitude about stress, they tend to perform better. In this study, people were told to watch a short presentation about the benefits of stress. Afterwards, the participants reported that they felt better and were more productive even though their stress levels remained the same. Rather than thinking of stress only as a limiting factor, embrace a certain amount of stress and youll see immediate improvements, not only in your performance, but in your happiness, too.

Stress is tough to beat, but with these simple and quite pleasurable techniques, you can turn your hectic office into a place of peaceful productivity.

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Technique #2 Body Scan

Most of us ignore the signals our bodies are giving us throughout our day. This skill enables you to check in fairly quickly with your body to make adjustments or gather important information about your feelings.

To do a body scan, it is easiest to be sitting or laying down with eyes shut. Starting at the top of your head, notice the way your scalp and forehead feel. Then move down to notice your face, and so on. Mentally check in with each portion of your body in turn.

If you come across an area that feels tense, simply linger there to take a relaxing breath, loosen the tension, and then continue on until you make it all the way down to your toes. This process can take as little or as long as youd like.

Simple Ways To Relieve Stress And Anxiety

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Stress and anxiety are common experiences for most people. In fact, 70% of adults in the United States say they feel stress or anxiety daily.

Here are 16 simple ways to relieve stress and anxiety.

Exercise is one of the most important things you can do to combat stress.

It might seem contradictory, but putting physical stress on your body through exercise can relieve mental stress.

The benefits are strongest when you exercise regularly. People who exercise regularly are less likely to experience anxiety than those who dont exercise .

There are a few reasons behind this:

• Stress hormones: Exercise lowers your bodys stress hormones such as cortisol in the long run. It also helps release endorphins, which are chemicals that improve your mood and act as natural painkillers.
• Sleep: Exercise can also improve your sleep quality, which can be negatively affected by stress and anxiety.
• Confidence: When you exercise regularly, you may feel more competent and confident in your body, which in turn promotes mental wellbeing.
• Try to find an exercise routine or activity you enjoy, such as walking, dancing, rock climbing or yoga.

Activities such as walking or jogging that involve repetitive movements of large muscle groups can be particularly stress relieving.

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