HOW TO MANAGE STRESS: 6 TECHNIQUES THAT WORK - DUDAS - 2024

Controlling stress is important to have well-being, tranquility and even physical health in your life. Stress not only causes discomfort and feelings of uneasiness; its effects accumulate and can cause various diseases.

Stress is a physiological reaction of the body and you feel it when you perceive that your demands (what you have to do, your obligations) exceed your resources (the things you have to face daily life).

I emphasize "perceiving." For example, before a math test, a girl may feel very calm because she does not perceive it as a threat and her friend feel stressed because she thinks she will fail.

It is therefore not a fixed phenomenon that comes from external situations (an exam, a wedding, work), but it depends on what you believe, and if you think you can face the situation or not.

Are there situations that cause more stress than others?

Yes, there are situations such as the loss of someone, natural disasters or important life situations (weddings, exams) that cause more stress than the others.

However, the emotions and level of stress you feel from these situations depend on your interpretation of them.

Why are there people who are more stressed when a couple breakup and others overcome it easily? By the interpretation they make; for example, some think that "they will not find another person" and others "that it is good to be single again."

You may find yourself in a stressful situation that you cannot change, such as having to care for a dependent person or having a demanding work schedule (and you have no option to leave your job). In those cases you will have to use reinterpretation strategies to the situations that we will see later.

If you suffer stress for long periods of time, it can have negative consequences for your physical and mental health, in your social relationships and at work: tachycardia, increased blood pressure, lack of initiative, impotence, acne, diabetes, demotivation, aggressiveness, low productivity, absenteeism and many more.

Positive stress and negative stress

For example, if you are doing a report and you feel excessively relaxed (the opposite of stress), you will be not very active and it will take you hours to finish. Therefore, there are two kinds of stress:

-The negative that causes excess activation of the body in external situations, maintained in the long term. It is what is colloquially known as "stress" and in the professional / healthcare world "distress".

-The positive, which provides energy and activation necessary to overcome the demands of situations, known as «eustres».

If you are reading this article, you probably feel the first, that is, negative stress or distress.

Ideally, you should reach what is known as the "optimal functioning zone"; a point where your skills correspond to the demands of the task.

For example, if you are a newbie at your job, there are three situations:

1-They ask you to make a report in two hours: you will be out of your capacities because you still do not know your new company, your functions, the way of working, etc. You would probably stress yourself: hyperarousal situation.

These are situations that you will have to live in your life, however feeling stress in them will depend on you and how you represent the situation. You will learn about it later.

2-They ask you to make a report in two weeks, which if it is within your current competition. You will be able to face the situation with an adequate activation: a zone of optimal functioning.

3-They ask you to clean the tables. You get bored and demotivated: relaxation.

How to manage stress?

The techniques that I am going to discuss are equally important, however I am going to order them so that it is easier for you to understand them. They are not difficult, quite the contrary.

- Identify the situations that cause you stress

Learning techniques and what stress is is fine, but it won't do you any good if you don't know what situations in your life and what interpretations lead you to stress.

If you are under a lot of stress, you may be so busy and stressed that you can't even think about where and how it comes from. However, taking some time for rest and reflection will be necessary to observe the reason for your stress; an important exam, a personal relationship, some obligation, etc.

Identifying the stressors in your life will be the first step in getting organized and taking action. Identify the situations that cause you stress and reflect on your interpretation of that situation. Ask yourself: Is it an objective situation? Does it depend on my interpretation that I feel stress? Can I think of another way that I don't perceive it as stressful?

Once you know which situations cause you stress, you will have three main options:

• Reinterpret the situation: ask yourself if the situation is really that serious. What is the worst that can happen? Am I growing personally with this? Can I take it more calmly?
• Avoid the situation: in certain situations, such as war or physical / psychological abuse, it will be necessary to avoid the situation. They will not be as possible if it is work, family or children that cause you stress.
• Solving the problem: This is about solving the problem that causes you stress. For example, if having a dirty and untidy house causes you stress, it can be solved by tidying it every few days and cleaning it. If you don't have enough skills to face your job, it will be solved if you learn what is necessary.

- Time management techniques

On many occasions stress arises because we have to do many things and we believe that we do not have time to do them, so we perceive that we are not in control of the situation. However, if you manage it well, you will have time for everything and you will not only save time, but you will be more effective, efficient and creative.

Some tips to manage time:

• Always plan: write a list of the tasks you have to do for the day.
• E-mail is a waste of time: Check it once in the morning and once in the afternoon.
• If you are working, turn off the smartphone / cell phone.
• Use Parkinson's Law; set limits to finish tasks, plan less time to work quickly, do not take work home…
• Prioritize the most important and essential to finish.
• If you can, ask for help or delegate to other people.

- Decrease demands and build resources

-A lawsuit is anything that requires physical or mental effort and that is associated with physical or psychological costs. For example, childcare, jobs to be finished, obligations, etc.

-A resource is something that helps you achieve your goals and reduce demands. There are personal (self-esteem, optimism and self-efficacy), social (family, friends…) and financial resources.

It will be good to control your stress:

• Reduce demands: don't work too much, set goals longer in advance, have more free time…
• Build resources: make friends, build a good relationship with the family, save some money monthly…

- Adopt positive coping strategies

Coping strategies are the behaviors that we adopt to face demands, problems and life events. There are many and some are more positive than others. These are the ones that I suggest you adopt so as not to feel so much negative stress:

- Proactive behavior: it is an active approach to behavior, as opposed to reactivity, from which you act on your own initiative.

- Self - regulation: it is the ability to be aware of your own behavior, plan it and be able to control reactions that lead to negative consequences.

- Goal orientation: it is the ability to set goals and be persistent to achieve them.

- Promotion focus: this is about putting your attention on the positive results you can achieve, on the rewards, on growth and advancement.

- Focused on action: the coping strategy focused on action is based on acting to solve the problems that cause stress. Focusing on what you need to do to resolve stress will help you resolve it, as long as you act. On the other hand, when something is unsolvable (such as the death of a person) it will be better to focus on your thoughts (avoid negative thoughts and think more positively).

- Take time off and adopt a healthy life

Being always busy and working without taking time off is not good and it will also be negative for your productivity and health.

Save at least an hour a day to relax and do an activity that you feel like doing. Some activities that will help you reduce stress are:

• Socialize.
• Eat a healthy diet.
• Get regular exercise.
• Cut down on sugar and caffeine.
• Avoid alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.
• Get enough sleep to feel rested.

- Practice relaxation techniques

Relaxation techniques will help you to be more aware of what causes you stress, to better cope with stressful situations and to feel more relaxed and therefore with more well-being.

These include meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, autogenous relaxation, mindfulness and visualization. Visit this article to learn how to practice them.