By Christine Jesse

STRESS RELIEF

A demanding job, the family, a house that constantly needs to be maintained and all that paperwork that seems impossible to plough through, can make every day seem endless. Always so much to do and just never enough time to do it. In this situation it's too easy to loose focus and stress is the result.

Once established and not dealt with, stress can become your constant companion. It can make you sad, make you loose your motivation and leaving you feeling discontented with life. But there are ways of dealing with stress, which can help you break out of this daily pattern and help you cope with what is a relatively modern affliction. Recognising that you are a possible candidate for stress and learning more about it now can help you spot the symptoms early and start to deal with it. Along with this recognition, comes the opportunity to regain a more balanced and happier lifestyle!

1) Stress - What is it anyway?

Stress is a reaction to any change in your normal routine or health. It is a physical, emotional or resulting in a chemical reaction, which places tension on your body and mind so that you get out of balance. Illnesses, injury, emotional upheaval and also hormonal changes such as during puberty or pregnancy can cause stress.

The symptoms are very different and sometimes not easy to recognize. They can be physical, emotional and mental or they manifest themselves in our social behaviour. Some of them are listed below:

• Headaches
• Constant aches or pains
• Sick immune system (colds, infections)
• Palpitations
• Sleep disturbances, chronic fatigue
• Concentration problems
• Restlessness
• Feelings of anxiety and tension
• Anger, Crying
• Loneliness
• Lack of interest in food OR increased appetite
• Fatigue or lack of motivation in social activities (burn-out)

If you observe one or some of these symptoms then it might be an indication of stress. Maybe some of these stress management strategies might help put you back on track.

2) Stress Relief: How can I handle it?

It's impossible to avoid or totally eliminate stress from your life. But once you recognise that you are stressed you have already taken the first step towards doing something about it. That hurdle crossed, you can choose between many methods or ways of reducing and handle stress more efficiently.

To relieve stress, you may have to change or adjust your life - maybe not completely but you will certainly have to get rid of some old habits or ways of doing things.

Stress Management

To reduce stress you have to find out what causes it (ask yourself: when and why do I feel stressed?). Identify those factors and then try and make a list of the ways that you react to them. The next step is the most important: make changes to or adjust your exposure to stressful situations and also modifying your reactions to those situations. By increasing your positive reactions to stress, you can help yourself support the change.

How can I do that?

The secret is: stress management is time management! If you know how to manage your time better, you will get less stressed at home and work and also be able to make some time for relaxation. Managing your stress means taking positive steps to combat it whilst remembering these important things:

• Reducing the stress level is a process that needs time and patience.
• Concentrate on only one or two main things at the same time: You can't change everything at once!
• Set yourself realistic and reachable goals: specify for yourself exactly what you want to change and in what period of time you want to change it.

Stress Management in five steps:

1. Organisation: Save time by finding things more quickly! Clean up your desk, place all important notes, phone numbers e.g. on notice boards, put all your paper things in files, use boxes with labels. A day planner and "to do' lists are also a good way to manage your time.
2. Priorities: You cannot handle all your stuff at once - there are only 24 hours in a day! Find out: What are the most important things to achieve today? How long will it take do these? What is less important and can be done another day? In this way you will learn to use your time more effectively and this will result in less stress.
3. Concentrate on one thing: If you do an important task, do only that for the moment. You don't have to be available all the time for everybody. Focus your work and answer phone calls or emails only in the time you personally allocated to these tasks. In addition to that there should be half an hour every evening given to planning the next day's tasks.
4. The pro's and con's of Multi-tasking: If it works for you, multi-tasking is a good idea. For instance, writing postcards and whilst updating your address book at the same time is a time saving combination. But beware of things like trying to write a business letter while phoning other business partners because you could make a mistake or say the wrong thing because your mind is not on either task which will just add to your stress.
5. Do not be afraid of asking for help: Look at every task and decide realistically what you can tackle in the time you have. For the rest, don't be scared to ask others for help (family members, colleagues). Distribution of tasks is a good way to manage your professional and personal time and people love being asked their opinion or for help as it makes them feel good too.

Anti-stress Tricks and Tips

There are other little things that can help reduce your stress level quickly. You can easily integrate them in your daily routine and you only have to adjust a few habits. Here are some ways to cope with stress and move towards always being well balanced:

1. Diet: Eat healthily and regularly. Eat a balanced mixture of vegetables, fruits and low fat items with carbohydrates and proteins for your meals. Reduce your caffeine consumption and avoid alcohol (it can make stress symptoms worse). Drink minimum 8 glasses of water a day. It will refresh you with every gulp!
2. Movement: Move as often as you can. Find out what sports do you like and do them regularly. Go out for a little walk by yourself every day. Enjoy the fresh air and use the time to think about yourself. In this way you will get rid of stress.
3. Relaxation: Indulge in some time for yourself. Relax in the evenings and get enough sleep every night. Massage, aromatherapy (e.g. have a hot bath with pleasant-smelling oils), deep breathing exercises, meditation or yoga are suitable for relaxation.
4. Have Fun: Do things you always wanted to do and never had the time to try. Start painting, go to a karate course, visit an exhibition, read an exciting book, listen to your favourite music or what every else does the trick. If you put these little routine breaks into your day, you will fine yourself refreshed with plenty of energy for new tasks. Enjoy yourself!
5. Relationships: If you live in a healthy social environment less likely to suffer from stress. Firm relationships with your partner and friends will help you overcome problems. Spend time with your friends regularly. Be friendly to your neighbours, the bus driver or the seller - you will get it back and will feel more comfortable yourself.
6. Be good to yourself: Do not expect too much of yourself - know your limits. Praise yourself for every task you have finished and every problem you have coped with. Do not worry about mistakes - they belong to change and success! Listen to your feelings and take them seriously.

3) Stress Relapses: Be aware of Stress Pitfalls

You have to be wary of some situations and other things that can damage your carefully constructed stress plan! If something like this happens, keep calm and do not let it get through the barriers to stress you have set up. Above all, be aware of these stress pitfalls:

1. Poor nutrition: If you are always on the run, it is easy to grab at "take away lunches" or junk food. Unhealthy nutrition, eaten fast and during a walk will cause stress. It is better to prepare a healthy lunch box at home (with vegetables and fruits) or to take the time to sit down in a comfortable restaurant and order a fresh salad for lunch.
2. Stress on the road: Do not go crazy when you are on the road! Many people drive rudely or aggressively. Be resistant to those traffic situations, calm down and do not let them go through. Otherwise you will arrive at your destination totally stressed, which will badly influence the rest of your day.
3. Drugs: Beware of alcohol and cigarettes consumption! It is nothing new that stressed guys drink and smoke much more than balanced people. It is an addictive behaviour and is not a way to cope with stress. Alcohol, tobacco and drugs are not only unhealthy; they will only combine to sabotage your stress management.
4. "Please help me": Learn to say NO! If someone asks you for help, first think about your own situation, your daily tasks and needs. Will there be time left for other things I have to do? You don't have to manage everything and you can't be expected to make everybody happy!
5. Conflicts: Learn to discuss and argue, but don't forget that everybody has his own opinion. Learn to accept that and do not try to persuade others. Otherwise you get frustrated and stressed when all you had to do is listen.
6. Comparison and Competition: Even though it is a natural thing to do, don't always try comparing yourself with others. Even though it's good to have role models, remember that you have your own needs and goals - so think about them and not about everyone else's life. Don't get in competition with others about managing tasks or problems; you might only trip yourself up. Don't forget: Everyone's life is different with different problems that require different management strategies.

Recognising stress and knowing what you can do to overcome it will help you rapidly reduce your stress levels and become more balanced, happier and able to enjoy your life so why not start today!?

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