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Stress is like a cup of hot coffee. A cup or two won’t do you harm. In fact, sipping a cup will do you good. But just like coffee, to much stress can smash up your body and mind, thus affecting your daily life. To keep mind and body working smoothly, you have to get rid of stress. Here are ten effective tips on how to deal with stress.
Make your daily to-do list simpler
Have your to-do list 50 % less. How? Check every item in your list and ponder on it for a minute. Will I end up a failure if this thing is not accomplished? Perhaps, you will tell yourself, “No, I’m not. Here’s a sound daily activity you can pursue. Every morning, write down your own to-do list. Cut it into half by crossing out those items you deemed can be work out the next day.
Organize and Prioritize your activities
For example: You’ve got to close out three office transactions this week, your appointment with your dentist, a car to be brought to the car center for repair, a Zoo visit you’ve promised your son, your sister’s wedding celebration to attend, a golf game with your friends and a television to fix. What now? How can you deal with each commitment? Get your organizer or on a piece of paper, jot down each activity and give each item a corresponding number. The least concern gets the number 1 and the “life threatening “ or the most important gets the highest number.
Use Pencil, Not Pen
See to it that you use pencil in making your to-do list. Why? Because your daily routine is definitely a fixed one. Changes will come and go and so as not to make your day be stressful, be flexible with your activities. Therefore, it is easy to erase in your list a task or activity if you use pencil instead of pen.
Stop pretending to be a Super Hero
Accept the fact that you are not a Super Hero nor one possessing superpower. Your capacities and abilities have limitations – like adding a minute to an hour or getting things done in a wink. You’re just human athlete entered in a human race.
Join forces with your Allies
In a game called life, one has to learn to cooperate and collaborate with people with similar endeavors. Those who shared same likes and dislikes. Find people who have a similar do-to list as yours; like sharing a passion for cooking, then try making some plans or activities that will earn dividends for everyone to share.
Laugh
If stress can damage one’s physical and mental capabilities, humor can heal. Studies showed that laughter makes the heart to relax and enhance the immune system. So one good tip to relieve stress is for one to share laughter or simply just laugh.
Exercise
No need to go on details about what exercise can give your body. Exercise fuel brain chemicals that promote nerve cells growth. Also, doing light workouts boost the activity of serotonin. No need to run a marathon, just a few minutes leisurely walk every morning or in the evening will do.
Forget Rush Hour
Yes, we are now living in a rushed culture, but avoid doing multi-tasking activities at the same time. Think for one moment, do you really need to simultaneously talked to your husband over the phone, check your e-mail, do some laundry and cook dinner? If you have trouble reading the morning newspaper and sipping your cup of hot coffee, then it is best to focus on just one task at a time.
Create Parameters
The best way in dealing with your daily activities is to create some parameters or boundaries. Set a definite time and place for certain things or tasks so that your mind will not be divided into parts. You should set some rules: say, the television is off while doing some laundries, the computer is off during Sundays and dinner is set before seven in the evening. This way, your brain be adjusted nicely and orderly, knowing which activity is to be prepare and what’s next. The result, your mind gets some relaxation.
Think Globally
Get the latest global news. Know the situation in poverty-stricken countries – see how young African mothers deals with the problems, see how those malnourished babies survive hunger. After watching these television news clips, ask your self Is my present condition worse than those people. Perhaps, it will change your perspective in life. You can say, my dilemmas are far more better than them.
Great post and incredibly timely, feeling stressed today after a big meeting last night! Thanks to your article I can finally relax and focus on the job in hand. Thanks you have brightened my day. Stephen
ReplyDeleteIt's really not easy to handle stress, thanks for t he suggestions!~
ReplyDeleteuseful tips for every one..
ReplyDeleteWe can manage stress but we cannot totally do away with it. I think, organizing and prioritizing my activities really help me battle stress.
ReplyDeleteI actually do these every time I'm stressed out. If only you could have a massage every day too, that will be a great daily stress buster.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I have never thought about using pencil instead of a pen for writing down my to-do list. ra
ReplyDeleteI think these tips can really make a difference. I agree with all of your points.
ReplyDeletelaughing is essential .. I like to use comedic videos or listen to uplifting music when i feel it becomes too much
ReplyDeleteIf I may, when I'm stressed I don't really like to watch news otherwise they will just add up to the stress I'm having. Sometimes, news can get to us especially in times that we are too vulnerable.
ReplyDeleteI always devise my day to avoid rush hour. I can do more while waiting for traffic to clear. The use of pencil is also right so we can be flexible with out to dos.
ReplyDeleteAnother method: Find a destress point or thing... If complaining to your loved ones help, or if drinking bubble tea helps, take a cup whenever you feel stressed!
ReplyDeletevery beautifully list, specially i like the section, use pencil not pen
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tips of handling stress. I like to relax and read some books or watch some nice shows when I'm stress. I might sound crazy, but Sudoku helps me to relax.... =)
ReplyDeleteWell, I think this is for people with routinary jobs everyday. But for people with different lifestyles, they have their own stress related occurrence. In general term, these are applicable.
ReplyDeleteGreat list! I use several of these techniques and agree that they can really reduce your stress..
ReplyDeleteMy life is so stressful because I always tend to challenge my super powers and do 10 or 20 things at the same time. You are right that I need to prioritize my tasks and have simple to do list written with a pen!
ReplyDeleteexercise always distresses me. ive never thought of using pencil!
ReplyDeletethese are a great way to relieve when you think you are feeling stressful, walking and laughing is one of just my way whenever i felt one.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this helpful list Papaleng. Stress is part of life i guess but it our choice on how to deal with it. I most of the time do my meditation or listening to happy music when im stress.
ReplyDeleteI love the use of pencil instead of pen, makes so much sense. I will totally start doing that!
ReplyDeleteLaughter is the best medicine! I have a QA trainee now who is so bull headed that she is my major stress generator for the past few weeks. On the lighter side of it, I look forward to her grammar slips. It really makes my day and gives me a good (evil) laugh! About the super-hero thing, I can't forego that tip. I AM a super hero. Pag bagyo, baha, lindol, PASOK PA DIN. Ayan ang call center worker - IMMORTAL. hahaha.
ReplyDeleteThese are very helpful ideas to stop feeling being stressful Papaleng. I usually sing and if not work out :-)
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I'm not the kind of person who does the list, juggle all activities in one day and whatsoever but to cope with stress is to actually think of not having a stressful day but I think of just having another busy day. Whenever I run errands, It's already programmed in my mind on where to go but as much as possible, I'm calm and think that it's nothing. No stress. After all, you'll always go home and relax and call it a day. :D
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