Almost all of us have experienced stress at some point in our lives. Whether the stress comes from issues in our personal, family, or work lives, the same effect happens: the deterioration of our health. People manage and cope with stress in different ways, but there are some methods of coping that work for almost anyone. Listed below are 2 ways to cope with stress and live a less stressful life.
Be aware of when you’re overthinking:
As humans, we like to think things out before making a decision or action. However, we can get inside our heads more often than not. What I mean by this is we tend to overanalyze every statement, action, or any event that happened. It could be anything that a friend said about your friendship, to a coworker who is giving feedback on a project you worked on together. We take things out of context and try to shape it in something totally different than what was said, which causes our stress levels to spike. When you realize you’re overthinking, take a step back and really analyze if the situation is helping you. If it’s not, cut the thoughts and live in the present moment. Be grateful and think positive thoughts.
Seek an outlet:
There are numerous positive and negative events that happen in our lives. Typically, we love to hear and express positive events but we often forget the negative events that shaped us and made us stronger as a result. When negative events happen, we seldom bottle those up and aren’t open to others we are close to. We don’t realize that our family and friends want us to feel comfortable going to them about anything, and opening up about any negative events that are preventing you from accepting it and moving on or is affecting your relationships will cause stress to increase. If you don’t feel like unleashing those negative events or problems to the people closest to you, there are other forms including a spiritual coach or therapist who will give you guidance.
Guided Deep Breathing:
You’ve heard countless people say take a deep breath when you’re stressed. But why? Well, there’s a specific chemical reaction in your brain occurring at this point in time that changes your mood from negative to positive. It also helps you to live in the present moment, which is crucial to prevent overthinking. How can you practice guided breathing? Take 4 seconds to breathe in, then hold for 4 seconds before breathing out.