Sunday, March 11, 2007

Combating Stress the Right Way

One of the most stressful period in history that mankind has ever encountered is the 21st century. Have you ever wondered why the spa and wellness business is now fast booming? People want to relax and soothe their worn-out body and drained mind. To be fair, not all stress is bad because scientists believe that considerable amount of stress prepares you for the challenges you may encounter during the day. Now we know that too much of something is harmful so learn to tame and control stress before it takes control of you.

Relax. Take a deep breath and say this to yourself ten times “everything will be fine.” After this, clear your mind from all the cobwebs and focus on what needs to be done. Cramming for an exam the next day or minding your office mates who couldn’t care less but to dig into their office mate’s private lives won’t help. Learn to detach yourself from the noises and stressful situations surrounding you.

Stop pushing yourself. Trying too hard to make both ends meet is not a good practice at all. If you feel worn out already, take a break. Since when did resting become a crime? Pushing yourself to the limits will only harm your health. Do yourself a favor, give your body and mind some slack. Get a good sleep because lack of sleep just aggravates stress.

All people make mistakes. “Nobody’s perfect.” Why agonize and blame yourself for everything even bad weather? Remember that you can’t please everyone and it is alright to commit mistakes once in a while. You don’t have to control everything because things will happen anyway if they really meant to happen.

Find a new hobby or pastime to de-stress. Find an avenue where you can divert your attention into something else than yourself. Go to a community gathering, learn a new hobby, pamper yourself in a spa or find time to go to the gym to tone your body. Whatever it is that makes you feel good, do it. Who cares if you’re on a saving mode? Buying that dress or a pair of shoes you have been eyeing for weeks won’t hurt one in a while.

Be realistic. Being flexible and multitasking is not bad but carrying the whole burden on your shoulders by accepting responsibilities left and right is too much. Don’t commit yourself to things you aren’t sure you can do or you really don’t want to do in the first place. This will affect your performance and the turn out of the project, even make it a failure. Learn how to say no – gracefully – when you have too much work on your plate.

Live one day at a time. Quit thinking of tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, next week or next year. Take time to smell the flowers and enjoy life. Life is too short not to enjoy. I’m not saying that you disregard your future but obsessing about it and tormenting yourself thinking on what will transpire tomorrow misses your chance to enjoy the present. Spontaneity is the key to living a healthy and stress free life. You wouldn’t want to age early, right? Taking time off from time to time actually makes you more productive.

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