Beat Stress: 6 Reasons You Are Stressed Out Of Your Mind
Im a self-employed bloke who has a tendency to get stressed, anxious and panicked even during the the smallest of lifes hiccups.
Early on in my life I knew Id have to figure out some techniques for beating stress. Now, I am not saying that I have mastered these techniques far from it but they have helped me a lot.
And as I know a lot of you lovely readers out there deal with bouts of stress and anxiety I thought Id write a bit of an off-topic post and talk about some ways bloggers, business people and everyone else online can beat stress when you just dont feel like its possible.
I genuinely hope it helps someone out there even if its just a catalyst to talk to someone who can help you more.
NOTE: This post is mostly about dealing with the stress and anxiety that can arise when you work for yourself or are starting a new business. Its not intended to be a guide for those suffering more serious stress or mental health issues. If you need someone to talk to I encourage you to visit your GP or Beyond Blue and have a chat to one of their awesome staff.
One Catch With The *so Tired* Thing You Can’t Actually Sleep
Another legit reason that stress is making you wake up feeling like death: You spent a good chunk of the previous night tossing/turning/wishing your brain would just TURN OFF ALREADY. “I call it ‘wired and tired,'” explains Lucie Hemmen, Ph.D, a psychologist in Santa Cruz, CA. “Practice bumps back homework, which bumps back bedtime and by the time you’re ready to go to sleep, you’ve pushed yourself past the point of exhaustion.” Real talk: That wired feeling may be a sign that sneaky stress hormones are pumping through your body at unhealthy levels, just to help you survive your ridic day. And when you’re experiencing that crap-night-of-sleep cycle on repeat? It’s maybe time to give your schedule some breathing room.
Concentrate On Your Breathing
1) Concentrate on your breathing
Take a second to slow down your breathing. Concentrate on slow inhales and exhales for 2 or more minutes. By pretending to act like youre relaxed, you will actually start to become so!
2) Take a hike!
Exercise releases endorphins, the feel-good hormone that will turn that worried frown upside down! So, even if it is only for 10 minutes, take a walk around the block, through the hallways, or around your house!
3) Talk to yourself
No, you wont be thought of as crazy! All you have to do to lower stress quickly is to talk to yourself in the third person. Work through what is stressing you out and talk your way through the best methods to tackle it. Just talking to yourself for one minute has been proven to reduce stress!
4) Read something uplifting
Read anything that is light on the mind, distracts you for a second, and/or has an overall positive message to remind you to not think negatively while you are stressed! Reading in itself calms the body and the mind but choosing to read something that motivates you has the potential to really change your mood!
5) Jam to some music!
Music has the power to turn any mood around! It can transport you to an amazing space of happiness. So, put those headphones in or turn up the stereo and blast your favorite tunes to get yourself pumped and ready to tackle anything!
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Get Into Nature Go Outside Or Even Look At A Plant
Teens: Emma Seppälä is the science director at Stanfords Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education and is the author of The Happiness Track. She says we grossly underestimate how much nature helps decrease anxiety and depression while increasing creativity and altruism and connection to other people. If nature isnt available, research shows going into a park is helpful. If thats not possible, bringing a plant into your building or home helps.
The research has found that…even if you don’t have windows in your office or school, wherever, even just having pictures of plants and vegetation on the walls or even on a desktop has an impact.
Who Gets Test Anxiety
Anyone can get test anxiety, but someone who really wants to do well might be more likely to feel this way. This is called being a perfectionist . Kids who worry a lot also might feel anxious at test time. Perfectionists and worriers find it hard to accept mistakes they make or to get less than a perfect score. This creates more pressure for them.
As we mentioned before, not being prepared for a test can cause test anxiety. Kids who don’t get enough sleep also can be more likely to have test anxiety.
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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.
Tips For Dealing With Stress And Anxiety
The best way to address stress and anxiety is often simply to encourage your child to talk to you about what is troubling them. Listen without judgment and validate their feelings. Sometimes, expressing their feelings is all a child needs to feel better.
Another great way to ease some of your child’s anxiety about going back to school is to get your home ready for the transition. Strategies such as planning school lunches ahead of time or establishing a comfortable homework area can help make kids feel more in control and relieve some of their anxious feelings.
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Look For Evidence Of Perseverance
A powerful indicator of grit and tenacity is when a person persists and never gives up when they really want to achieve a life goal. Look for evidence of them keeping going in spite of enormous difficulties.
Great achievements by scientists and inventors all bear the hallmark of perseverance. We only have to think of Einstein, Edison and Nelson Mandela to get inspiration. The US Department of Education is in no doubt about how grit, tenacity and perseverance will be key success factors for youth in the 21st century.
Lack Of Support System
We need people to know who we really are. We need moments of vulnerability or opening up to one another to feel safe and secure. When we can tell others what we are going through, we feel a sense of clarity and release.
We feel obligated to be our own heroes. We feel like we need to hold on rather than let go and let others in. When this happens, sadness increases, and we are no longer engaged with those we love.
People overwhelm us with their ability to smile, carry on and even be functional. But thats not always their truth either. When sadness hits, we have to tell someone and build a support system. We may find we have some thing about ourselves in common with others.
Find people you trust: professionals, friends and family that you can turn to when going through a hard time. Let them in. You are not alone in this. You just need to allow others to see your weaknesses, which arent even true weaknesses. Feeling sad is not a weakness. Holding back in an effort to appear strong is, however, a weakness. When people know what youre going through, they can better assist you.
No man is an island. John Donnes
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Why Are You Stressed
Id really like to hear from you all now. What makes you stressed? What has helped to beat that stress? Please leave a comment and let me know hopefully we can come up with a nice little resource for people. .
If you feel like your stress is getting too much please go and talk to your GP. They can give you advice on how best to treat it. It CAN be treated. If youre not ready for a doctor consider using a wonderful online support group like Beyond Blue. Theres help out there.
Why Do We Take Tests
If teachers know that students get stressed out about tests, why do they still give them? Believe it or not, both teachers and students benefit from tests. Tests measure how well students are learning the skills and information their teachers have been teaching them and teachers learn if they need to present information in a way that is better for students to understand.
And tests are a part of life from the driving test you’ll take one day to the test you’ll take if you decide you want to be a doctor.
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Tougher Academics And More Responsibilities
The academic demands increase with every year of high school. Even if kids made great strides in middle school, they know the work will get more challenging. At the same time, they have to speak up more for what they need, or self-advocate.
What you can do: Remind kids of the support they have both at school and at home. Encourage them to reach out to teachers for help. Kids who have an IEP can reach out to the IEP case manager, too, and even ask about having self-advocacy goals included in the IEP. You can also:
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Work on building strong study habits and learning to slow down on homework.
Be Careful In What We Praise And How We Convey Disappointment
Parents:Praising the right things can reduce stress for teens. A lot of parents say, Oh, just put in your best effort, thats whats important. But when we see the bad grade, our eyes convey something else even if a kid has put in the effort. Parents who praise the effort and the process and not the outcome reduce stress. If disappointment increases stress, do the opposite to reduce stress.
What are some examples of that?
Praise a teen for pushing through a class where they dont like the teacher. Or when they decide they dont want to take four advanced classes like their friends are which is unhealthy. Praise them when they cultivate hobbies that won’t show up on a college application. And finally, Damour says, we tend to praise inefficiency, for example, the student who does more than whats asked. Praise efficiency instead.
You know, I saw that you thought you had a pretty good sense of how you were going to do on that test and so you went online and found three sample tests and took them and you crushed them and so you did not study any further. That is some good work, she said.
Talk openly and often to your teen about the range of pathways after high school and that life is a zig-zag path where sometimes you fall off and sometimes you get back on.
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Things That Can Help With Stress
Short periods of stress are normal and can often be resolved by something as simple as completing a task which cuts down your workload, or by talking to others and taking time to relax.
It might also help to:
- Work out what it is that’s making you feel stressed. For example, is it exams, money or relationship problems? See if you can change your circumstances to ease the pressure you’re under.
- Try to have a healthy lifestyle. Eat well, get enough sleep, be physically active , cut down on alcohol, and take time to relax as well as working and studying.
- Avoid drugs, including lots of caffeine – this can have a negative impact on your stress levels and wellbeing.
- Try not to worry about the future or compare yourself with others.
- Try relaxation and breathing exercises.
- Try to plan your time to help you keep track of your work. Break it down into manageable chunks so you can keep up with deadlines.
- Try talking to a friend, tutor or someone in your family about your stress.
- Read about how to cope with the stress of exams.
How To Cope With Stress Podcast With Dr Rangan Chatterjee
Struggling with stress? We caught up with Dr Rangan Chatterjee on the In The Moment Magazine podcast to find out how to cope with stress and live calmer lives.
Looking for more wellbeing advice? Learn how to cope with depressing news, explore mindful ways for coping with change, or begin a new mindful habit with our pick of the best mindfulness journals.
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Hold On To Your Friends
Having friends you can rely on when things get tough is one of the most effective ways of beating stress. Friends can advise, or just listen while you offload. Even if youre not talking about your troubles, friends keep you feeling strong and connected at a time when you might be feeling a bit on your own and you can do the same for them.
Can You Witness Acts Of Kindness
How often do you see this person being kind and considerate? Do they give money to beggars, donate to charity, do voluntary work or in some simple way show that they are willing to share the planet with about 7 billion other people?
I was shocked when a guest of mine never showed any kindness to the weak and disadvantaged people in our town. She was ostensibly a religious person, but I began to doubt the sincerity of her beliefs.
The best index to a persons character is how he treats people who cant do him any good, and how he treats people who cant fight back.
Abigail Van Buren
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Recommendations For When You’re Feeling Unmotivated
To be at our personal best, we must know what our personal best is, and what it takes to get us there. Some people may go through life not knowing what their motivational style is. We cannot expect to always have someone else rewarding us for a job well done, that means a change in how we think about our success. For fun and insight, try taking an online motivational assessment. You might be surprised about what you learn.
There are quite a few strategies that exist to assist with boosting motivation. Some research has focused on thought flow and motivation as a method that may help individuals stay on track to reaching their goals. Some research suggests that physical fitness may affect mood, especially when it comes to feeling low energy. Other strategies are tailored to the specific area in which one may desire to feel motivated . The important thing to remember is that lack of motivation, over an uncomfortable length of time, may be a symptom of depression. If you have tried to increase your motivation on your own and dont feel that you were successful, or, if you felt better for a little while, but then subsided back into your rut, it may be beneficial to seek help.
Plan For The Worst Case Scenario
Planning out the worst case scenario can seem like an overwhelming task, and in some cases that may be true. However, when you are able to predict what will happen in the future, you are better able to put in supports to help you manage when the worst case scenario happens. For example, if you feel as though you might be failing a class , you can talk to your professor about receiving an incomplete, talk to academic advising to see how that affects your grade, create a study schedule to help yourself catch up, and see a peer tutor to support you with the material. If you are dealing with a sudden change or difficult situation that is impacting your learning, consider reaching out to your professor, reaching out to your friends and family, or making an appointment with an Academic Coach at the Learning Center.
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