5 expert-approved ways to stress less
Do you often feel anxious, worried or tense? Then you’re probably familiar with that dreaded feeling called stress. It’s important to remember that stress is not in and of itself bad – after all, when life inevitably throws you challenges, it’s natural to feel stressed out. However, if the occasional bout of stress it not so occasional then stress can be harmful to your mind and body.
As Janice Killey, principal psychologist at Life Resolutions Kogarah in New South Wales, Australia tells Over60, “If stress is ongoing there can be physical or psychological symptoms, such as headaches, sleep disturbance, upset stomach, anxiety, anger and more. Studies have suggested that the psychological stressors contribute to poor health outcome in older adults.”
It can be easy to fall into a cycle of unease and worry, sometimes without realising it, but there are dangers in ignoring the stress and not dealing with it properly.
“Stress can be harmful to a person's health and happiness. Some people can get use to ongoing stress but it has a negative effect on their relationships and health,” Ms Killey explains.
So how do you beat stress? The first and most essential point is to learn to identify what triggers your stress. Stress is very individual, and what is a stressor to one person is not necessarily one to others. It can also be dependent on a number of situational variables. Therefore, there is no quick band-aid solution to beating stress, as there can be a number of different coping mechanism for different stressors in different situations at different times. Stress is complex so your strategies in combatting them need to be broad and self-aware.
Here are Janice Killey’s quick tips for beating stress:
- Identify triggers, which might include work deadlines, late nights, seeing particular people and so on. Avoid these triggers where possible.
- Establish routines, which can include exercise and relaxation; regular mealtimes and bedtimes
- Spend time with people who you care about and care about you; talk with other don't bottle up your feelings
- Learn about self-talk (both positive and negative), and how they impact on how you feel.
- Practise relaxation by learning a formal technique such a progressive muscle relaxation, meditation or yoga.