Stress is a part of everyday life for most of us. Whether it’s small moments of worry when you’re stuck in traffic or something bigger like moving or changing jobs, stress can come and go in a myriad of ways. Some are able to shake off their stress or handle it head on.
Others, regardless of how much of a to-do list they tackle in one day or the accomplishments they achieve, feel stress that never really goes away. For these individuals, the mental and physical symptoms of anxiety can impact their daily life.
Since it’s impossible to remove all stress from a person’s life, many doctors recommend that patients learn to identify their individual stress triggers as well as how to avoid them. Here are a few tips from your friends at PGOMG on how to fix your stress triggers.
Write it down
This may seem like another to-do list, and perhaps the items on this list may even mirror your to-do list – but making a concentrated effort to write down the things that worry you, no matter how small or trivial they may seem, can help put your stress into perspective. You’ll be able to see the issues you’ve been worrying about and stressing over all day on a piece of paper instead of rolling them around in your mind or having them pop up in the middle of something else. This also helps to organize your thoughts, and you can better plan on how to handle your stress and even decide on just what you’ll let go of.
Get organized
Stress results when you feel overwhelmed by your life. Is your car messy and full of wrappers from the past month’s breakfast commute? Should you have done laundry a week ago? Is there something you’ve been putting off because you feel you can’t handle it unless your desk is clean? A messy, cluttered space can make productivity difficult. Taking the time to clean out and get organized can make getting through a long day much easier.
Learn how to “turn off”
Imagine you’ve finally finished everything you needed to do today. You know you should get some sleep, but you haven’t had a moment to yourself to check your email since you left the office or catch up on a television show from Monday, so you stay awake, thinking, “This is my time.” But it’s 1 a.m.
Many people are unable to turn off at the end of the day and fully relax without using electronics to wind down. It’s important to recognize when it’s time to sleep. Not only will you thank yourself in the morning when you have an extra hour or two of sleep under your belt, but in the long term you’ll lower your risk of conditions like eye strain.
For more tips on how to lower your stress and improve your health, visit our 5 Actions Women Can Take Today to Feel Better Tomorrow blog post.
