Stress is a psychological experience that affects body and mind profoundly. It is true that a certain amount of stress does the wonder; however, acute or prolonged stress offers negative effect altogether. In the later case, we need to undergo through appropriate measures offering different stress reduction techniques. Otherwise, it may lead to serious complications such as suicide, violence, heart attack, stroke and even cancer in some of the cases.
Stress reduction refers to a process in which different techniques are executed to counteract with various stressful conditions and to offer a sense of serenity and relaxation in return. This article explores different stress reduction techniques.
Impact of stress
The experience of stress is somehow individualized to some extent. That means the tolerance level for experiencing stress is different for every one. However, chronic stress may lead to unpleasant condition even for strongest individuals. Prolonged stress can cause a permanent biochemical imbalance in the health system. This eventually leads to weaken immune system and hence to increase vulnerability for serious health condition, which may be proven fatal in due course of time. Stress is known to develop various health complications such as asthma, cardiac complication, high blood pressure, allergy, fatigue, depression, insomnia, anxiety, irregular bladder, headaches, body pain, and many more.
Dealing with Stress
In practice, there are essentially two ways to deal with stress. One is to eliminate stressors from the environment or at least minimize the stressors. The other one is increase the resistance power dealing with stress. Truly there are a great range of useful strategies to acquire these two attributes, but the key aspect of all variations comes to a single point, that is, relaxation.
There is no single stress reduction technique; rather it needs to be implemented in combination with change in lifestyle, diet, exercise and relaxation. These factors complement a better management of stress in terms of reduction or elimination to some extent. Relaxation technique sounds pretty simple and the central theme of most of the stress reduction methods, however it is not so simple to acquire it without the expert guidance.
The modern life demands experiencing stressful stimuli almost each moment, it is seen that relaxation technique has increasingly become the expert solution against stress.
Therapeutic Measures
There are various relaxation therapies that help individuals to achieve a deep beneficial relaxation experience. In particular, the therapeutic measures involve a combination of mind-body therapies, body movement, herbal diets and plentiful water. Most of the therapeutic measures can be practiced solely as a part of self care system, however, in few cases, continuous assistance of experts is mandatory.
Therapeutic measures focusing on the mind-body connection assumes that emotions may play a significant role in physical system. These measures in particular help individuals to get a hold on daily stressors and to cope with them rather than trying to eliminate them from environmental stimuli. Individual counseling and meditation are two crucial factors of such therapies. These techniques are truly beneficial for lowering blood pressure and gastric problems.
Different therapeutic measures are implemented in stress reduction program. These may include dance therapy, music therapy, massage therapy, art therapy and many others. The primary aim of these techniques is to enhance body-mind system in holistic fashion. Body work typically includes body touch mechanism involving manipulation, realignment and posture correction. This therapy is effective in deep tissue manipulation.
Herbal therapies are found to be beneficial for stress management in terms of providing a special emphasis for inner balance. It stresses on the significance of natural substances in relation to the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual connectedness. Apart from that, there are other useful techniques that are effective in managing stress.
These are acupuncture, Alexander technique, aromatherapy, autogenic training therapy, behavioral therapy, reflexology, naturopathy, Rolfing, kinesiology, Tai Chi Chuan, sound therapy, Reiki, autosuggestion therapy, Ayurveda, Bach Flower therapy, bioenergetics, biofeedback, flotation therapy, Feldenkrais method, Shiatsu and many others.
Have you ever felt overwhelmed and stressed by all your responsibilities and obligations? You work full time, have a long commute to the office, have children and a partner, parents who are beginning to have health problems and volunteer commitments. Feeling stretched to the breaking point, your mood and health might be negatively impacted. Although there are many conveniences which are supposed to make life easier, if you don't use them, don't know how to use them or overuse them, it adds to the chaos you may already be experiencing.
These days many companies expect you to do more with less. You may be worried about how you will manage to do everything you're required to, particularly with the time lines you have been given. Your own beliefs about a situation can also create stress. Are you a person who likes to have things done a particular way? Do you sometimes think it is just easier to do it yourself, rather than show others how to do it? How do you react if they do it differently and it is just as effective, if not better? Do you become self critical, expecting perfection?
What about connecting with family and friends? When people are devoting an inordinate amount of time to work, other areas of their life are ignored. This leads to living a life which is out of balance which in turn creates stress. When you experience stress, eating habits generally worsen, exercise doesn't occur and fun and relaxation isn't on the agenda.
Doing everything yourself is not humanly possible, besides some of the tasks probably bore you. So what is the answer? A 3 step process consisting of elimination, automation and delegation.
Elimination involves de-cluttering both your working space and your life. Have you ever walked into someone's office and it looks like a disaster area? Papers are every where and trying to find things can take forever. Creating a filing system which works for you and getting rid of clutter is very freeing. A supportive environment helps to reduce stress and improves productivity.
The ability to refuse requests is another form of elimination. Learning to pay attention to what you can and cannot do is very important. When you are operating from a place of overload, being able to say "no" is a critical skill. Make space in your life for you, not just what others want from you.
Automation is the second step. There are many devices, appliances and technology which are designed to make life easier. You need to take advantage of these things. At the office turn your phone off for an hour and let your calls go to voicemail. At the same time do not look at your emails. Tell your staff not to disturb you during this time, unless it is a "life or death issue." Spend the time working on tasks which you never seem to finish and notice if you are able to accomplish more.
Maybe it is your turn to make dinner for the family but you aren't able to leave work until 6 p.m. Preset your oven to turn on or use a slow cooker. Set your watch or cell phone to remind you of particular tasks or events. Experiment with how you might automate more effectively. If you don't know how to use a particular piece of equipment, ask for help.
Last but not least is delegation. How can others help you save time and ultimately money? What are the things you are doing that you could refer to someone else, freeing you up to do more of what you love. Consider off loading more tasks to an administrative assistant, secretary or team member. If you are a small business owner perhaps it would mean hiring a book-keeper or virtual assistant to do some of the time consuming tasks while you concentrate on building your business.
Timothy Ferriss in his book The 4 Hour Workweek is a big advocate of out sourcing. He feels that it prepares you to manage your life in a whole different way with the end result, having more time to do the things you enjoy. If you have someone managing the daily activities of your business, then you can take off while knowing that you do not have to always be on call.
To live a happier life, you need to incorporate elimination, automation and delegation into your daily routines.
Both Dr John Anne & Gail Solish are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Dr John Anne has sinced written about articles on various topics from amino acid, Fitness and Acne Treatment. Dr John Anne is an herbal specialist with years of experience and extensive research on herbs and alternative health. If you are looking for more information, read about. Dr John Anne's top article generates over 135000 views. to your Favourites.
Gail Solish has sinced written about articles on various topics from Stress Management, Time Management Skills and Leadership. Gail Solish, provides Executive/Personal coaching to managers, directors and executives focused on workplace development and relationship management.Claim your FR-EE e-course "Unleash Your Potential and Increase Productivity and Fulfillment" at. Gail Solish's top article generates over 1300 views. to your Favourites.