Feeling stressed? Stress is a normal part of life, but it’s important to learn how to manage it.
While a little bit of stress is normal and can actually help you function more effectively during times of pressure, ongoing stress is not good for your physical or mental health.
From causing headaches and sleep loss to affecting hormonal function, blood pressure and relationships, there are many reasons why experts warn of the ill effects the current ‘epidemic of stress’ is having on public health.
Whether you’re building stress beating habits into your day-to-day routine or you need a strategy to get some calm right now, try one of these activities proven to decrease your stress levels.
Make room for mindfulness
If you haven’t tried mindfulness, meditation or relaxation exercises yet, there’s no better time to start. These tools can help decrease and manage stress, and promote mental wellbeing. They can be used when you’re experiencing stress and as prevention tools in times when you’re feeling well.
We’ve created Mind/Land, a set of meditations and soundscapes set in iconic South East Queensland landscapes, to help you refresh your mind and promote relaxation. Stream Mind/Land episodes on your favourite podcast app or watch the meditations and soundscapes paired with beautiful 4K vision on YouTube.
Move your body
It’s a cliché for a reason; exercise really does prompt your body to release feel-good hormones like endorphins, which can help you to feel less stressed.
Stress can also make you subconsciously tense your muscles, which exercise might help to release.
It doesn’t have to be a full workout. Walk around the block, put on your favourite song and have a boogie, take the stairs instead of the lift or do some stretches—anything that makes you feel good in your body.
Get stress out of your head
Stress can kick in when you’re feeling overwhelmed by the number of tasks that need to be done or deadlines that must be met. Writing a to-do list or time management strategy can help you focus on seeing each task through to completion.
Follow these steps to get your stressors out of your head and into a plan:
- Write out everything you need to get done and each step you’ll need to take to complete each task.
- Prioritise tasks by what must be done first and identify what can be left to a later time.
- Identify any tasks that can be assigned to someone else, left for a later date or not completed.
- Be realistic about how much time it will take you to complete each task. Build space into your schedule to reward yourself for getting the job done.
Breathe
Stress and anxiety can affect how you breathe, which has flow-on effects that impact how your body and mind feel.
Taking a few deep breaths can help slow your breathing and heart rate, relax your muscles and calm your mind.
Follow Anxiety Australia’s guide to slowing down anxious breathing or use Beyond Blue’s box breathing video to help lengthen your breaths.
Take a time out
Stress can affect your emotions and how you behave. Stress might make you become irritable, short tempered, easily upset or agitated.
When you start noticing that stress is affecting how you feel or behave, it might be time to step away and spend a few minutes just focusing on yourself.
Do something you enjoy like reading a book or listening to music or find a trusted friend or colleague that you can talk to about how you’re feeling.
Time outs don’t have to just be reactive. Proactively build some ‘you time’ into your schedule each week, allowing yourself to do something enjoyable while looking after your health.
When you should get help for stress
Ongoing stress affects your mental and physical health and can be worth a trip to the doctor.
You should see your GP if you’ve been feeling unwell or ‘not yourself’ for two weeks or more. Remember, you don’t need to wait for a crisis situation to seek help for mental health.
If you feel like the situation is an emergency or that your or someone else’s life is in danger, call Triple Zero (000) for an ambulance.