Stress is a fact of life. There is no way to avoid it altogether. Sometimes we anticipate its arrival while other times, it surprises us without any warning. When the pressure of life, in whatever form it comes, exceeds our ability to cope, then we will experience stress. At this moment, the fight or flight response is activated and adrenaline and cortisol are released in our body.

Manifestations of stress:

When you experience stress, both your mind and body become engaged and respond. Sometimes you are aware of your response, sometimes not.

When you experience stress, you might feel:

More on edge, reactive or irritable
Excessive worrying, difficulty in concentrating
Difficulty falling asleep, insufficient sleep, tiredness, lack of energy
Muscles tension, agitation, difficulty to relax
Minor headaches, lower back pain, upset stomach
When you are less aware of how you are affected, you can end up feeling overwhelmed and stuck

Ask yourself:

How does my stress manifest? How do I know I am stressed? How would I look, feel, sound when I am under stress? How would I describe my stress?

5 Strategies to reduce stress

The best thing we can do for ourselves in the face of stress is to ensure we know how to manage our response to it. Thinking about this in the present can help us feel more in control now and in the future.

1. Get to know your stressors

It's difficult to change something you don't know is there!

Try to identify your stressors. Is it something concrete, like an approaching event, or is it something that comes from inside, an expectation or pressure that you put upon yourself?

Ask yourself: What sort of things, factors, situations tend to stress me? Be as specific as possible in your answer.

The more you know about what kind of things, events, situations affect you and about how your stress manifests, the easier it is to prepare yourself and to start feeling more in control. So, get to know your stress and the things that stress you.

2. Take a break

Nothing must be done! You don't have to solve it right this second!

Ask yourself: What helps me disconnect and detach from stressful situations?

For example: go for a walk, listen to music, start writing, read a book, cook, clean, dance, watch a movie, focus on a home project, listen to a podcast. Immerse yourself in an activity to take your mind off your stress. Dedicate some time to yourself to do something you enjoy. Changing the pace by focusing on a task that is not stressful will help you re-center and gain back some perspective.

Even though your mind might tell you that you cannot concentrate on anything else, go against your thoughts and start doing something else. You will see how you manage to shift your attention and focus on a different activity. Afterward, you can go back and try to look at the situation more objectively.

3. Destress your body

Physical activity and exercising can help you relax and distress. When you exercise your body is flooded with positive hormones like endorphins. These hormones, called the feel-good chemicals, have a similar effect like morphine or analgesics and play a major role in relaxation.

Think about what kind of physical activity works for you: biking, taking a long walk, dancing, running, going to the gym, swimming, doing yoga, practicing breathing and relaxation exercises. Plan to put into practice one of these activities next time you feel stressed.

4. Ask for help – Reach out

Social support is important. You might have different reasons why you do not reach out when you feel stressed: you might feel the other person might judge you, you might think you would bother your loved ones or you would become a burden for them. But it’s important to remember that most people in your life that are close to you would like to lend a helping hand.

Find someone you trust to share the stressful moments and doubts with, someone who can help you work through your solving problem process and allow you to vent when you need it. This person can be a family member, a friend, a professional, or anyone who you think can support you.

The important thing is to know that you don’t have to go through stress alone.

5. Learn from past experiences

Reminder yourself that you managed to solve so many problems and adapt to so many difficult situations in the past. You can do that now as well, you need a bit of reassurance and to use your strengths to help you.

Ask yourself: How did I manage stress in the past? How did I handle similar situations/problems in the past? What tools did I use then? What learning experiences can I draw from that would help me improve my current situation? What abilities, resources and strengths do I have that can help me cope now with what is going on?

It is important to have a plan to anticipate stress and be prepared in the way you respond.

These strategies should always be available to you. Click here to access the Reduce Your Stress Worksheet.

If you are experiencing stress in your life right now and need support in learning how to manage it, get in touch. We can schedule a 30 min. online free session to discuss your needs and goals and make a plan of how we can work together.

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