7 Ways to Escape the Daily Grip of Stress
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Stress is highly underrated.
Most people do not think about stress as being a killer, but stress it is a serious matter. In fact, 75 to 90 percent of doctor’s appointments to primary care physicians involve stress.
Have you ever thought that your daily routine could be stressful? So what is stress?
What is Stress?
Stress is any mental and/or physical resistance. So anything could take the form of stress.
Common stressors include events such as death, divorce, losing a job, financial distress, being diagnosed with a permanent illness, etc.
There are other common stressors, but they do not get as much attention because these are simple activities we do on a a daily basis. These simple activities include brushing teeth, showering, driving to work, accomplishing work tasks, eating, caring for your children, etc. And then there are those stressors that are just unnecessary.
So What are You Going to Do About It?
It is only stress if we get worked up over it. So whatever “IT” may be, make sure that “IT” does not get the best of you. Here are 7 ways to escape the daily grip of stress.
1. Learn to say “no.” You can’t be everywhere at all times. Know your limits and hold to them. Whether it is personal or professional, saying “yes” and taking on more than you can handle is a guaranteed way to become stressed. You should never be afraid to express your feelings.
2. Prepare the night before. One of the best things you can do to remove stress from your life is to prepare. Without preparation, stress tends to have a tighter grip on our lives due to procrastination. What can you prepare at night? Put your “To-Do List” together. Prepare your clothes by ironing. If you take your lunch to work, prepare it at night. Just to name a few things you can do to prepare.
3. Stay away from people who stress you out. In life there are “Givers” and “Takers.” If you are constantly finding yourself around a “Taker, ” you may need to think twice about hanging around that person. Limit their time in your space to decrease some stress.
4. Control everything in you can in your space. There are several things you can control that will help keep your stress levels low. Those things are as follow:
- Go to sleep. More sleep helps just about everything out. It definitely helps out with removing stress. Check out 9 Benefits of Getting a Good Night’s Sleep (click link).
- Get up earlier. To get up early, you will need to go to bed. When you are able to get an earlier start to your day, you will notice yourself rushing less.
- Start your day with prayer. I do not know a better way to start your day. I get a great sense of calm when I pray to my Father in heaven. Our Creator can give the best insight when it comes to making any decisions, so why not discuss your plans for the day with the Creator of all things.
- Leave for work early. Do not wait until the last minute to leave for work. The later you leave for work will cause you to have little control over arriving to work on time, which causes several reasons to stress. Reasons such as receiving a verbal/written warning, losing your job, or just tarnishing your professional image. Whatever the reason, it will just add more stress to your day.
- Drive sensibly. If you leave early, you will be able to drive sensibly. Otherwise, you find yourself driving with tension in your arms because your will be rushing. As we discussed early, tension is just another form of resistance causing stress. How can you drive sensibly? If you are going to drive sensibly, just remember a few things: drive the speed limit, be cordial to other drivers, be safe, and let others go first.
- Tickle your ears. Play your favorite music or listen to something that will put you at peace on your way to work. We spend quite a bit of time in the car driving to and from work. So why not make it a peaceful and productive drive. I love my music, but prefer listening to educational information to advance my life.
- Take a nap during the day. Not many people are able to get a full night of sleep, so I would recommend for people to take naps throughout the day. Whatever you do, please do not take a nap while you should be working. Use your break times take short power naps.
- Manage your time better. Poor time management is a sure way of becoming more stressed. Make a schedule and try not to stretch yourself too thin. Better time management will keep you calm and focused.
5. Look at the big picture. Sometimes we worry about things that do not matter. Perspective is a key factor in life. With good perspective, we will begin developing priority and purpose with our daily plans.
6. Focus on the positive. There is positive in everything in life. Never let the negative take over the positive. Seeing the positive also helps with shaping perspective.
7. Learn to forgive. I know this can be hard. If you are unwilling to forgive, you will find yourself holding on negativity, hurt, guilt, regrets, etc. When you are able to forgive, you end up freeing yourself of anger, resentment, and any negative energy. Forgiveness is not for the person who may have committed the wrong doing, but it is more to help the person who received the wrong doing to start the process of letting go and moving on.
Just as you can increase your resistance, you can also decrease it. Work some of these practices into your daily routine. Decrease your stress and live a long healthy life.
Question: What other ways can you escape the daily grip of success? Leave your comments below.
Peace and Prosperity, Bryant Hall MTN Universal, LLC
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