Tips to Control Stress
Stress is one of our worst enemies. You might be stressed from having too many things to do, or from not having enough to do. Either extreme is problematic.
When you feel stressed, it’s important to take steps to destress yourself and reach the level of stability necessary to continue on with your daily tasks and activities. Stress causes and accelerates many different illnesses, so it’s extremely important to learn to control it.
There are a few simple things you can do that will help to control this affliction which, on many occasions, feels as if it takes control of you.
Use a calendar
These days, it is very easy to have access to some kind of interactive calendar. It is likely that your cell phone has a calendar where you can record important engagements. All you have to do to get rid of some of that stress is download and install it. These virtual calendars are great, especially because they will alert you half an hour (or at whatever point you wish) before your appointment or date.
This first step towards stress relief is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves, because a great deal of our stress comes from a feeling of lack of control. How many times have you started something in the morning and not finished it until hours later because you get caught up on other tasks?
It’s helpful to make note of everything that you have to do, down to the most simple things. That way you will be able to avoid situations such as arriving home at night having forgotten to buy something you need. If the majority of the time you know what you have to do, you can avoid the stress of decicion-making.
Take breaks to distract your mind
Most of us usually think that the number of hours we work are a good indicator of how productive we are. In reality, it isn’t that simple, and our ability to concentrate has its limits. If we reach those limits, we will begin to make mistakes and, even worse, we will most likely find ourselves in a bad mood. A good way to avoid this happening is to take ten minute breaks every fifty minutes of work.
During these breaks, try to focus on something else. If you can’t solve a problem or think clearly about an issue you are trying to figure out, leave it for a while. The solution will likely come to your mind while you are distracted and thinking about something else. It’s good give yourself space and allow your mind to drift away in order to see things from a different point of view.
Make music your best friend
Music can help you if you know how to use it. Some music helps our mind relax and scatter, and other music aids us in our tasks of concentration and attention.
The best approach is to try different types to see what suits you, because each person is different. For example, music that helps me release built-up tension might help you to accomplish a task.
Furthermore, if we want to use music while we work, it’s best to start out listening to music while doing the most methodical tasks. In complex jobs that require our full attention, barring rare exceptions, music can distract us.
Lastly, we all know the potential influence that music has over our state of mind. Considering this, we can use music to directly affect our productivity, and to indirectly act on our stress.
Do things you enjoy
Now that you have the most important things organized and noted down, you are taking breaks when necessary, and you’re using music to help you, you can start to intersperse your obligatory and unpleasant activities with ones you enjoy.
Remember that your time is valuable. The activities that we like give us a necessary break and allow us to reconnect with ourselves.
Improvise once in a while and include something new and spontaneous in your schedule. You have the control, but that does not mean that you have to be a machine that represses your dreams, nor that you have to be condemned to a rigid and inflexible life.
Make your routine work for you
Try to make it so that the reality you live adapts itself to give you the best sense of well-being possible. Some people are very comfortable with a routine, and others are not. Get to know yourself and don’t deny yourself from establishing the level of routine that is just right for you.
Find a balance between trapping yourself in monotony and living in chaos. In short, be smart when it comes to organizing your time. That will reduce the possibility of chronic or acute stress, along with its sometimes disastrous consequences, appearing in your life.