What Is Stress?
Stress is our body's way of reacting to a change in situation/environment that calls for any type of actions/adjustments from us. Let's clarify something : Stress is not always bad. There are Good Stress and Bad Stress. Human Kind would not exist if not for stress. When stressed, our body feels under attack and switches to "fight or flight" mode which also includes releasing of certain chemicals.
"Fight or Flight" Mode?
The "Fight or Flight" mode is the way you react to certain situations when your body is under stress.
FIGHT:
The "Fight" response makes us aware of our surroundings, but also makes us aggressive towards others. This is helpful to ward off predators, however, leads to more violence towards loved ones and can also affect relationships.
FLIGHT:
The "Flight" response is the opposite of a "Fight" response. During a "Flight" response, we try to remove ourselves from the situation. This is helpful when we are in a dangerous surrounding and plan to run. However, in day-to-day activities, avoiding problems never help and our stress levels increase as we have to face the situation some day in our life.
Below are a few tips to manage stress :
1. Color. Doodle.
"How does Coloring and Doodling help relieve stress?"
Coloring and Doodling are not only for kids. Teens and Adults, all can color. Research has said that coloring is used as a de-stressing power for everyone of all ages. The practice of coloring generates wellness and also stimulates our brain during creative work. Apps for coloring:
2. Avoid Caffeine and Alcohol.
Alcohol can act as a depressant, when taken in large quantities, and a stimulant when taken in smaller amounts. Caffeine, found in Coffee, is a stimulant which will INCREASE your stress level rather than reducing it.
3. Indulge in Physical Activity.
Research has said that indulging in Physical Activity helps reduce stress. People who have complained to have stress, chose the right track of walking, running, cycling and other activities to physically keep them fit as well as reduce stress
4. Meditation and Yoga.
Yoga is nothing but a mind-body practice. Yoga unites our physical and mental parts together for the well-being of our body. Meditation is also part of Yoga, however, Yoga is more about poses and Meditation is more onto breathing and how to control it.
Many say that by doing Meditation, it reduces symptoms of certain conditions like anxiety. Meditation gives you peace and a calm of mind from various activities. It also helps with your Emotional well-being. For more on this topic, Click Here.
5. Organizing yourself.
Calendars, To-do lists, diaries etc, all have the same purpose - Organize your work and time. Many suggest Calendars to be more useful and a remainder for work than To-do lists. Calendars keep you on task and give you remainders for certain tasks beforehand. To-do lists let you organize, however, we tend to forget to check our events and sometimes it can even get messed up. Diaries are a good way to keep track of events too.
6. Time Management.
As said above, Calendars, To-do lists and diaries are a good way to organize yourself and also manage time. However, there are other ways to manage time.
- Make sure you know what your goals are. Set both long term and short term goals.
- Write down your goals & visualize the way to achieve them.
- Plan ahead for events that need more attention even if it's long term.
- Prioritize your events wisely.
7. Keep a stress diary.
Stress Diaries help you keep track of the amount of stress you are on every day. By doing so, it helps you realize what causes your stress & help you plan to arrest them.
Try to make a Stress Solution table where you can write the problem that is stressing you out, what is the main root cause of the problem and finally the solution to solve the stressful issue.
8. Puzzles and Games
Puzzles, Board games and reading jokes help people reduce stress. They tend to keep your brain working without any stress or over thinking.
Nowadays, there are games online which can calm you down.
- Monument Valley: This game is a puzzle solving game through different worlds. The Audio in this game is soothing and helps audience relieve stress. This game is available for both Apple and Android.
- Breath of Light: Players of this game say that this game has a really soothing sound track and also is a very satisfying game. This game is available for Apple Users.
- Prune: Prune is a very simple game where all you have to do is "cultivate what matters” and “cut away the rest.” This game is available for both Apple and Android.
- Dots: You have one single goal - create a six by six rectangle with the given dots. The game gets difficult as you level up. This game is available for both Apple and Android.
9. Playing/Listening to music.
Listening to Music helps you connect with your inner peace. Soothing music helps reduce stress and calm you down. Playing an instrument also helps you calm down and reduce stress. This can also help you to low blood pressure, decrease heart rate and less anxiety and depression.
Naturespace is a Holographic Audio player that has calm music. It has authentic music from all over the world of nature. This app is available on both Apple and Android.
“Yoga: Fight Stress and Find Serenity.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 4 Oct. 2018, www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/yoga/art-20044733.
“What Is Stress?” The Stress Management Society, The Stress Management Society, www.stress.org.uk/what-is-stress/.
2011-2019, (c) Copyright skillsyouneed.com. “Dealing with Stress - Ten Tips.” SkillsYouNeed, www.skillsyouneed.com/ps/stress-tips.html.
“A Beginner's Guide to Meditation.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 17 Oct. 2017, www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/meditation/in-depth/meditation/art-20045858.
“Yoga (for Teens).” Edited by Mary L. Gavin, KidsHealth, The Nemours Foundation, Aug. 2015, kidshealth.org/Levine/en/teens/yoga.html.
“Physical Activity Reduces Stress.” Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA, adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/related-illnesses/other-related-conditions/stress/physical-activity-reduces-st.
“8 Anxiety Relief Games to Instantly Reduce Stress.” The Spire Wellness Blog, 11 Oct. 2018, blog.spire.io/2018/10/18/anxiety-relief-games/.
Credits:
Created with images by leninscape - "yoga outdoor woman" • Mpho Mojapelo - "untitled image" • stux - "colored pencil writing or drawing device colorful" • Nathan Dumlao - "untitled image" • skeeze - "cycling bicycle riding" • Marion Michele - "Tree by Water" • Jeff Sheldon - "Gather: The minimal, modular organizer." • Djim Loic - "Analog timepiece" • JESHOOTS.COM - "untitled image" • markusspiske - "puzzle play piecing together" • FirmBee - "ipad samsung music" • Sacha Styles - "untitled image" • Sergi Kabrera - "life’s too short to remove usb safely"