Write A Letter And Tear It Up
If youre wanting to relieve stress that is clouding up your mind, write a letter to whoever is causing you the stress or write down all of the reasons why youre stressed and then tear it up.
It sounds very Buddha-esque, but it truly can help in letting you physically and figuratively push away your worries.
Not only does the act of getting them down on paper help you to organize things in your mind, but tearing it up and throwing it away can also help your mind release them.
Just make sure you dont actually send the letter, because hateful and rant-filled letters are going to cause you more stress, not less.
Switch Up Your Routine
Sometimes, staying in one routine too long can actually cause stress rather than take it away.
Having a routine is important for many people to avoid stress, but what happens when you do the same thing day after day, eating the same dinner, waking up at the same time, taking the same train into the same job?
If possible, switch up your routine a bit.
Get up earlier to go for a walk before you go to work, bring something new for lunch every day, and pick up a new hobby that you enjoy to do in the evenings.
They say that one of the reason time feels slower for children is because theyre constantly learning and experiencing new things.
Go back to that childlike state of mixing it up and learning new things, and you may find that your life feels longer in a positive way.
You Feel Exhausted All The Time
Feeling stressed really takes a toll on your mind and body. If your body perceives that its in danger, its going to have to work twice as hard to stay alert and keep you safe. It can also be really hard to get quality sleep when youve got so much on your mind!
What to do about it: Mindfulness and meditation can help you get into that deeper relaxed state. Try listening to a guided meditation before you fall asleep.
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Cut Down On Energy Drains
Certain parts of your life can drain your energy. Life coaches refer to these as tolerations, and they can be anything from a person who brings negative energy or high demands, a messy desk that makes you slightly more tired when you look at it, to a part of your day that you wish you could just avoid.
Much of the time, we get so used to these drains that we dont notice how many of them we have in our lives, and we dont try to eliminate them. Other times, we start feeling overwhelmed by themlike were being pecked to death by ducks. Either way, by becoming more aware of them and cutting down on drains when you can, you may be able to free up enough time and energy to engage in more make me happy activities.
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Tip : Practice The 4 As Of Stress Management
While stress is an automatic response from your nervous system, some stressors arise at predictable times: your commute to work, a meeting with your boss, or family gatherings, for example. When handling such predictable stressors, you can either change the situation or change your reaction. When deciding which option to choose in any given scenario, its helpful to think of the four As: avoid, alter, adapt, or accept.
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Things To Say To Someone When Theyre Stressed
At this point, it seems like stressed is a permanent state of being. Whether youre stressed about the current state of the world, work, school, finances, relationships, or anything else, it can be overwhelming and, frankly, exhausting. Luckily, having a support system you can count on is one way to lighten the load.
Part of being a good support system is just being there. The next part is knowing what to say. Thats the trickier of the two because everyone responds to stress differently. Its not a one-size-fits-all solution.
To help you get started, weve compiled a list of 8 things to say to someone when theyre stressed.
Taking Steps To Manage Stress
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You Cant Think Clearly
If you arent sleeping well, there is a good reason you cant concentrate, but there may also another cause. Research shows that the brains memory center, the hippocampus, shrinks when it is overwhelmed by cortisol, and this may even be related to dementia later in life. Mindfulness and deep breathing exercises are good stress relief techniques.
What Are The Signs Of Stress
How you might feel
If the stress is long-lasting, you may notice your sleep and memory are affected, your eating habits change, or you feel less inclined to exercise.
Some research has also linked long-term stress to gastrointestinal conditions like Irritable Bowel Syndrome or stomach ulcers, as well as conditions like cardiovascular disease.
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Build In Time To Stop & Relax
I often hear my clients say Come on, how on earth will I be able to make time for myself when I have so much to do? and I always reply, if you dont look after yourself you wont have the reserves to take care of all the other people in your life you take care of. When our reserves are low were cranky, overly sensitive and generally not as happy as we want to be. So please take some time each day, even if it only 10 minutes, to relax.
- Have a warm bath as this will help your body reach a temperature thats ideal for rest.
- Writing to do lists for the next day can organize your thoughts and clear your mind of any worrying thoughts that pop in to your head
- Relaxation exercises, such as light yoga stretches, help to relax the muscles. Dont exercise vigorously though, as it will have the opposite effect.
- Relaxation CDs can help as they use a hypnotic voice to guide you through muscle relaxation and soothing music and sound effects to relax your brain.
- Watching TV or any computer or phone screen keeps the brain engaged and active so it is harder to fall asleep. It is better to read a book or listen to the radio as that relaxes the mind by distracting it from the present worries.
You Have A Constant Headache That Just Wont Go Away
If you experience throbbing or feel pressure anywhere on the head or temple area, theres a good chance its a tension or stress headache, says Dr. Colgan. Oftentimes people point to particular troubles in their life that might be causing this pain, but lifestyle might be to blame instead. Keep in mind, if your head pain feels like a migraine headache, the worst headache of your life, or a headache that wakens you from sleep, those are signs of a dangerous health problem. You should visit a doctor immediately, advises Dr. Colgan.
What to do: When stress is the cause of your headache, the easiest thing to say is, have less stress in your life. But that advice itself is stressful, says Dr. Colgan. Knowing what your headaches coming from is helpful therapy. People oftentimes feel worse worrying and trying to figure out what the cause could be. So knowing its not some serious health problem may make a person feel better. Sometimes the most effective way a doctor can treat a patient is to teach them about their symptoms, says Dr. Colgan.
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Spend The Whole Day Alone
Introverts, unite!
If you get recharged by spending time alone, youre going to have to eventually just give yourself the space to recuperate and work through your stress alone.
Send the kids to their friends house for the day, kick the husband out to go play sports with his friends, whatever you need to do to get that one day of solitude.
And when you have it, plan for it.
Are you going to lounge around all day in your pajamas?
Are you going to get something done that has been stressing you for out forever?
Are you going to indulge in all of your favorite foods that your family isnt invited to share?Do what you need to do and enjoy the time spent alone.
Everything Makes You Emotional
Everyone has days where a random sloth video on YouTube makes you cry. But if you’re walking this Earth like a timebomb of intense feels, snapping when your bae makes a dumb joke or getting extra annoyed at a teammate, something might be out. Like those times when you chill out afterward and think, Yikes. Who WAS that person?“When you’re super-stressed, the brain stem the primitive part of your brain takes over, and the part that anticipates outcomes goes dark,” says Hemmen. So what does that mean?! Think of it this way: Stress shuts down your filter AND turns up your tendency to act on instinct making your inner rage-beast bubble up in interactions where you’d normally feel fine.
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What Causes Anxiety Twitching
Anxiety causes your nervous system to release neurotransmitters, which are chemicals that your body uses to send messages between neurons, or between neurons and muscles.
Some types of neurotransmitters will tell your muscles to move. When you have anxiety, neurotransmitters may be released even when theres no clear reason for them to be released. This is what can cause anxiety twitching.
Another reason anxiety can cause muscle twitching is because it can cause you to hyperventilate. Muscle twitching is one symptom of hyperventilation.
If your twitching happens long-term or interferes with your daily life, your doctor may be able to help. To diagnose your condition, theyll first take a medical history, which will include:
- questions about your symptoms
- when symptoms started
- details about the twitching
If youre also experiencing anxiety with the twitching, be sure to tell your doctor. That might be enough for them to diagnose you with twitching related to anxiety. However, they might still do tests to rule out other conditions.
These tests may include:
- blood tests to look for electrolyte problems or thyroid issues
- an electromyogram , which looks at how well your muscles work
- a CT scan or MRI of your brain or spine
- a nerve conduction test, to see if your nerves are working correctly
If you have anxiety and other potential causes of twitching can be ruled out, your doctor will likely be able to diagnose you with anxiety twitching.
Catch Up With An Old Friend
Write an email, call, or facebook message someone that you havent spoken to in a long time that you used to be close to. If writing a message, write an exceptionally curious, long-winded message that the person is sure to be excited and surprised about when he or she opens it. Surprises in general add to the spice of life, and giving them is always more fun than receiving. Dont get me wrong, this activity is nice to share, but for you its going to be purely selfish. Ive already done this with about five people in the last week and every time I open my email to find messages from old college and high school friends, I smile. The trouble is responding to the emails of the emails
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Put Down The Social Media
Social media is a stress-filled haven.
Whether youre scrolling Instagram and seeing other peoples seemingly perfect lives that youre comparing yours to or youre on Facebook reading about peoples tragedies and GoFundMe pages, its enough to make you take on other peoples stresses as well.
If youre so stressed that youre having trouble operating in your normal life, quit social media.
Log yourself out of your accounts, tell people that you usually communicate with that you can be reached on your phone if they really need to get in touch, and then go dark.
Start discovering your life away from social media and the constant and everpresent drone of the internet, and youll notice your stress levels drop noticeably.
Plan Something Fun For The Future
There are some stressful situations that are time-based.
Maybe youre applying for college or applying for a job or theres just a really busy month ahead.
Instead of getting caught up in how stressed you feel now, think about how youll feel when it ends and plan something fun for the future.
Book a nice dinner out, book an entire vacation, or just tell yourself that youre going to buy yourself that new phone youve been waiting for when this stressful period is over to give you something to look forward to.
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Its Ok To Take A Break
Stress makes you think that you always have to be ON. But sometimes you hit a point where you feel like you just cant go anymore. Thats ok.
As an outside voice, you can remind them that its ok to take a break. Taking a break is actually really healthy and leads to more productivity when you return to the task. So when you see someone pushing themselves to the point of burnout, gently remind them about the benefits of a quick refresh.
*And if someone asks why youre not working on your term paper thats due in 26.76 hours, just tell them that YOU WERE ON A BREAKKKK! Ross Geller would be very proud.
Types Of Stressors To Contribute To Your Feeling Stressed All The Time
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Gamma Ray Optics Blue Light Blocking Glasses
- Price: $
- How it may help with anxiety: Blue light can disrupt our brains natural sleep-wake cycles. Blocking this light contributes to a better nights sleep, which may reduce anxiety.
Weve all heard the news that blue light before bed is one of the most common sleep disruptors. While its a nice idea to power down a few hours before bed and pull out a book instead, thats not always possible.
What is possible is reducing the visual strain caused by regular computer and smartphone use. These Gamma Ray Optics glasses were created to block the blue light that could disrupt your sleep patterns and affect your mental health.
Sometimes It’s Like You Forget To Breathe
You’re sitting there in class and you get a mediocre test grade. All of a sudden you’re convinced that you’ll never get into college and that your future is over. Your emotions can spiral out so fast that you actually feel light-headed, or slightly tingly, or straight-up shaky. So what’s up with that? Sometimes when you’re all worked up you literally hold your breath to keep the tears down and/or the emotion in. And it’s not something you should ignore. “Research has shown that there is no such thing as a spontaneous panic attack,” says Ehrman. “Holding your breath, rapid breathing, a little dizziness these can and will get worse over time.”
So What Can You Do About It?
First off: Make sure to get enough rest and ~breathe~ . “It’s important to create space in your day for your brain and body to be in a state of calm,” Ehrman explains. “That keeps the stress from piling up.” Aside from catching all of the you can, building in five-minute brain breaks every day where you sit and count your breaths or picture yourself in your happy place will help, too. And if the symptoms of stress and that sense of being SO overwhelmed don’t let up, talk to an adult you can get real with, whether that’s your mom or a school counselor or your doc. They can help you figure out a plan to lighten your load and deal with the pressure you’re feeling.
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