Beating Stress

Guidelines to help you beat stress.

By Flora McCraith

Stress seems to be more and more a part of people’s lives and one of the main reasons for it is work related problems. People are often pressured into working harder and for longer hours. However, it can also result from worrying about money issues, getting the children out from under your feet or just feeling as though there are never enough hours in one day.

Stress is also linked to many health problems such as asthma attacks and most recently, diabetes in men. Therefore it is important to know how to eliminate stress before it leads to bigger problems. Here are some top tips so that you can stay feeling happy and healthy.


Eat well

What we are eating can be the last thing that we think about when we are stressed and junk food ends up becoming the norm which will make you feel worse in the long run. Eating a balanced diet will help the body to cope in stressful situations and make it easier for you to sleep. Diet and blood sugar levels can have a dramatic effect on mood and mental health.


It’s all bad news

Do a voluntary news-blackout on a regular basis. Stop reading the newspaper and watching television for one day, a week or longer. A constant supply of bad news isn't healthy for our bodies. Our cells are designed to take in joy, not disaster!


Know your limits

We all have our limits which we have to recognize as we aren’t superhuman. Therefore, knowing when you are pushing yourself too far and taking a step back when things are getting out of control will beat the stress. Stress is the result of pushing your anxiety levels to the extreme. Learn to pull back early on, recognise your limits and modify your behaviour; it will pay off later on and ensure your ongoing health.


Don’t join successful companies

This may sound odd, but the theory behind this is that success breeds success is undermined by research showing that working for an expanding organization is more likely to make you ill. Change is stressful, and organisations that are growing rapidly impose greater demands on the workforce than those where there is less change and more stability, even when the change is positive and increases job security.


Return to sanity

You've read it countless times, but have you practiced it? Relaxing will lower raised blood pressure and slow down your breathing, metabolic, and heart rate, enabling your body to recover its equilibrium and it should only take 15 minutes.


Turn on the water works

Crying is a cleansing and very therapeutic experience. Deep sobs open the chest and diaphragm, releasing bound-up energy. This helps to free your heart of muscular tension. A good cry also enhances oxygen delivery to the cells and stimulates release of specific neurochemicals in the brain that promote relaxation. So don’t hold back; let those tears flow.


Budget

Finances are one of biggest triggers of stress. Money management isn't so difficult as long as you keep detailed accounts of your income and expenditure. The best thing you can do is to make sure that you know what's going on with your finances at all times. It might sound boring but by drawing up a monthly budget you'll avoid those nasty surprises that'll send your stress levels through the roof.


Grow older

One of the mysteries about stress is that those carrying the least responsibility, teenagers, suffer worst. A survey found that pressure had increased most on the young; with 70 per cent of 16 to 24-year-olds saying they felt more stressed than they did five years ago. By the age of 65, however, people report less stress. In part, that reflects diminishing pressure from work and family, and more time for people to call their own. Age also brings acceptance, greater contentment with what you have and less striving for what you don't.

- MSN