If the joints of our skeleton didn’t experience an appropriate amount of stress our bodies wouldn’t work for us. The same is true with emotional stress. In proper proportion, stress can motivate us to move forward in our lives’ natural desires and goals. But, just as too much stress can injure joints or even break bones, too much emotional stress can also break our psychological well being. If the stress is not observed or goes unchecked, this can lead to a spiral into mental, social, relational, even physical problems.
Some of us were born into households which created very little stress, leaving us free to fully develop healthy psychological tools for managing the stresses of everyday life. Others of us weren’t born into such a family, or were born into the same family at a time of high stress, and therefore may struggle for much of our lives to find and create such a balance.
If you struggle or are even more stressed by the prospect of using any of the tools for managing stress, it is not your fault. The wise choice is to reach out for assistance to get a fuller understanding of why a balanced relationship with stress is so difficult for you, as well as to heal your system to find the natural inner tools you have for this crucial part of life.
Signs that we are overly pressured by stress:
- inability to concentrate on or complete tasks
- frequently getting sick with colds and flu
- persistent body aches
- autoimmune disease flare ups
- headaches
- irritability
- trouble falling asleep or staying awake
- large fluxuations in appetite
- high levels of anxiety
9 Tools for Stress Management:
- Watch for the signs of excessive stress
- Learn to know your triggers
- Exercise
- Make time to relax, or learn to relax if you don’t know how
- Learn to manage your time. Can only happen if you can learn number 4
- Do your best to be realistic, setting attainable goals, making small incremental changes
- Curb your caffeine intake
- Don’t self-medicate (drugs, alcohol, pleasure giving activities, such as sex, gambling, online gaming, even work)
- Reach out for help to a trained counsellor or therapist.
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