Top Good Practices for Stress

Stress Management Through Good Practices

Living with panic attacks or stress can be quite difficult. However, it is not impossible to have an excellent quality of life by using the right methods and practices. Coping is an easy process once you implement the right steps. Consider some of these good practices for managing anxiety.

• Firstly, begin with thinking positively: A negative attitude and constant brooding will increase stress and anxiety. It is important to maintain a healthy mindset to have a healthy stress free life. Make sure you surround yourself with positive thoughts and people who encourage you to come out of your negative moods.
• Take frequent time-outs: A break is important to revive and rejuvenate yourself. Do something you enjoy and something that relaxes you. This could be playing music, swimming, dancing, treating yourself at the spa, or getting a massage. Setting aside time for yourself will help you to feel stress-free and relaxed.
• Exercise regularly: Exercise is an excellent stress-buster. Take up enjoyable exercise or activity like walking or swimming that will clear your head, allowing you to tackle things with a fresh state of mind.
• Accept that everything is not in your control: Most often people who experience high levels of stress tend to need control over everything around them and in their immediate surroundings. Understand that you cannot control all the variables and people around you, sometimes things work differently. Letting go of the need to be in control will help alleviate the associated anxiety considerably.
• Take up something calming like yoga or meditation: Breathing exercises, yoga, and meditation offer excellent relief from anxiety. Practice this regularly and keep doing simple breathing exercises, meditating for a few minutes daily, even at work. This will send those stressful moments scurrying and allow you to relax better.

• Limit caffeine and alcohol: People think drinking eases stress. However, research says that coffee and alcohol both can trigger panic attacks. Make sure you regulate your intake of these substances to help cope with your anxiety issues.
• Identify triggers around that create stress: Each person reacts differently to different activities and situations. Make sure you know what tends to make you panic at home, work, and other social situations. When you identify these triggers, you can work on calming yourself when dealing with these triggers through practiced visualization techniques. For example, if having negative feedback and lots of work to be repeated makes the day stressful, visualize yourself in that situation. Tell yourself that you will tackle the task and complete it more efficiently, and then feel the stress take a back seat as you repeat the exercise each time.
• Get the right amount of rest: Lack of sleep and proper rest is something that creates additional stress. Every individual needs ample rest to function at their best, and without this, you simply will break down like an over-worn machine.
• Join a group activity that keeps you relaxed such as a laughter club: Many people who are members of these clubs report an improved lifestyle, better quality of life, and alleviating stress levels. You could participate in these activities to help cope with your anxiety.
• Keep aside "me time" and learn to say no: Every once in a while, set aside some me time. It is okay to say ’no’ to people to prioritize your needs. Being assertive to be happy and to deal with your stress is essential for your personal growth and well-being.