30 Ways to Overcome Stress

Take a Breather

You may notice that you usually hold your breath when you are upset. Releasing your breath is one of the most effective forms of letting go. This process somehow helps you put aside any problem that’s bothering you. It’s like you are taking a break from your worries just come back to them after a while.

During stressful times, give yourself a few minutes of time-out by breathing slowly, softly and deeply, and even closing your eyes if appropriate. Try counting one to five as you inhale and to seven as you exhale. Spending more time as you exhale has a calming soothing effect. As you do lengthy leisurely exhalation, try to imagine your stresses melting away.

Taking a breather is also one effective way of shifting your thoughts away from your problems, thus giving you time off and short yet valuable opportunities to relax for a while.

Simple Affirmations

Talking positively to yourself is one effective way of blocking too much emotional stress. The short, positive affirmations that you give yourself can greatly help you cope with the emotional tensions.

Some of these effective lines are:

o Right this minute, I can begin to feel better.
o I can be fully relaxed, and fully energized.
o I always have a choice about the way I feel inside.
o I can take the edge off tension, whenever I choose.
o Life is too precious to waste on worry
o I’ll do my best, and accept whatever happens.
o Deep down ill be ok.

Try to come up with your own personal positive self affirmations. Just remember to keep them short and avoid negative words like “not” and “don’t”. Repetition is important. Affirm yourself regularly for a few minutes at least once a day—out loud or in paper will do. Try out several affirmations, and see which ones relieve the pressure most rapidly.

Take a step

Your being upset is often a result of things that are happening or might happen that you don’t like and which you are not sure of what to do about them. During these stressful times, it helps to ask yourself what you can do to start moving in a positive direction. Your first step may not solve the problem, but it is impossible to solve the problem without taking any action. Remember, action gives birth to hope, and hope gives birth to further action.

Here is a positive action checklist:

* Write down all your thoughts about the problem.
* List your alternatives, and narrow the choices down to two or three.
* Decide that the situation can’t possibly be changed, and begin to adjust to it.
* Tackle the most interesting or enjoyable part of the problem.
* Tackle the easiest part.
* Deal with the most urgent part.
* Seek advice from an expert or an objective friend.

Undivided Awareness

Undivided awareness is a form of “positive distraction,” that pulls you away from your jumbled, fragmented thoughts. It’s an excellent technique to use at work or while carrying out chores at home.

When you’re feeling bothered and confused, look at your watch, focus on it completely for a while and at the same warding off all the distractive elements around you. Don’t allow your mind to wander. Let yourself become fully absorbed in that particular activity you chose to do. After this process, you will feel calmer and more peaceful.

The Sanctuary

Have you been into a safe, comfortable place where you found complete solitude? Or is there a place that you have always imagined to give you the rest that you need?
Having such “imaginary” place of solitude helps you ease out the tension within yourself. Having this instant change of scene gives you a mental mini-vacation from everyday concerns.

Before going to sleep, imagine yourself visiting this special sanctuary. Picture yourself resting there or having a great time with your loved ones. Doing this regularly helps you relax daily and escape from the usual stresses that life brings you everyday.

Think Soft

This technique enables you to relax a specific part of your body, as if directing a healing beam of energy at a sore shoulder or stiff neck.

Try to locate a tight muscle in your body and imagine the tension melting away and turning into something soft. Using this technique or any familiar picture helps you let go by drawing up whatever you associate with peace and confidence.

Word Magic

When you worry, you tend to think and exaggerate things with your thoughts. The Word Magic technique helps break the automatic flow of your thoughts with a lulling word or phrase.

Choose a simple word, such as “peace.” “quiet,” “relax,” or “calm” or count “1001”, “1002.” Any positive and comfortable word will do. Repeat these words silently for a minute or more. Breathe slowly and deeply as you do this. Focus on the words and let the thoughts around you just pass to mind—let these distractions remain in the background. This will reduce the tension and diffuse unnecessary stress in your life.

The Gift of Music

According to Schriner, “music engages the right side of the brain, and pulls us away from the anxious, repetitive thought patterns of the left hemisphere.”

Learn to appreciate the gift of music. When under pressure, take a few minutes to listen to a good music, fill your mind soothing and calming rhythm. This can do wonders during stressful times. Humming or whistling or even letting a song repeat in your mind can also be effective.

Twelve-point Tension Release

This technique particularly targets each of the major accumulation points for physical tension. A few times each day, try to stretch, massage or relax the following accumulation points of physical tension in your body:
— eyes
— jaw
— neck
--shoulders
— wrists
— hand
--torso
--spine
--buttocks
— calves
— ankles
— feet

Seven-eleven Breathing

This is a good technique for reducing extreme physical tension, without needing to leave a stressful situation. Simply breathe very slowly and completely, with cycle taking about twenty seconds. Stretch yourself a bit while doing this, but don’t strain. The simple rule: count to seven on the inhale, eleven on the exhale.

Move!

The simple act of moving automatically dissolves tension. Some people find this as an effective way to relieve stress.

Practice expressing your feelings physically either by exercising, dancing, or running. Even the simplest activities like fixing your closet can alter your mood. The key is just to go, move. It is one of the easiest yet helpful stress busters.

Self-massage

Massaging yourself for a while even during a very busy day can do wonders in your body. Here are some of the pressure points in your body which you can easily rub or massage during breaks:

* The frown spot. Rub softly in slow circles where your eyebrows join, just above the nose.
* Back of the neck. Squeeze gently with one hand.
* The jaw. There’s an important muscle just behind the place where your back teeth come together. Rub there and see if it feels tender.
* Tops of the shoulders. Knead these muscles with the thumb and fingers of one hand.
* Soles of the feet. If you’re on a shopping expedition, sit in the car and rub your sore feet before trudging into the next store.

Body Release

When your body feels tight from stress or emotional upset, consider the following steps:

* Tuning-in phase: Locate a tense group of muscles and experience them, without necessarily trying to relax them. Zero in on the place where you’re hurting yourself the worst, the center or the whole system of muscles under pressure.
* Preparing phase: Take a moment to feel how much energy you’re expending to keep these muscles tight…
* Releasing phase: Imagine the muscles becoming soft, as if they’re turning into clay or warm candle wax

Changing Demands into Preferences

During dissatisfaction, try to identify the demand at the core of your feelings that cause you to be unhappy or upset. Understand that there is nothing wrong with wanting what you like, however, demanding for it can make you feel tense and upset. Practice softening the demand by making it a preference, then focus on fulfilling your preference.

Viewing these demands from a larger perspective makes it easier to turn these demands into preferences. Here are five ways to put problems in perspective:

* Remember that whatever you’re dealing with today is a lot like the other challenges you’ve handled all your life.
* Ask yourself how many times a negative event is likely to occur in a lifetime.
* Remind yourself that whatever you lose will probably be available once again
* Ask yourself, will this issue still bother me a week from now?
* Call to mind your own central values, based on your religious beliefs or your personal philosophy.

Self-Questioning

Self questioning is an effective way to neutralize happiness blockers by giving you new perspective on pressure situations.

When see yourself exaggerating problems, ask you the following questions:

* Is this really a Great Big Deal?
* Is anything truly important at risk right now?
* Is this any worse than what I’ve handled before?
* Will this seem important in two weeks?
* Is this worth making myself sick over?
* Is this worth dying for?
* What’s the worst thing likely to happen, and would I be able to cope with that?

The Method of Choice

This technique may appear subtle but this is one of the quickest and easiest ways to alleviate worries in your life.

Simply follow these three steps:

* Experience yourself straining, creating unpleasant feeling in your mind and body.
* Ask yourself, “Am I willing to let go of straining? Listen for an answer.
* In the answer is yes, make a clear and conscious choice to let go.

Let it Be

Letting things be demonstrates the practical value of absolute acceptance. Consequently, this process makes life easier for you than you thought it ought to be. Simply apply the following techniques:

* Notice how you’re resisting, resenting, disliking, or criticizing a situation, a person, a physical tension, or an unpleasant emotion.
* Choose to stop fighting it. Put absolutely no energy into wanting it to be any different. It may help to concentrate on something else, and ignore what’s bothering you for a while.

Attention Shifting

Block off the stressful thoughts and feelings in your life through this technique for “positive distraction.”

Here are four possibilities:

* List ten things that you are looking forward to. They shouldn’t be important, just the things you’ll enjoy
* Slowly count something that’s emotionally neutral—leaves on a plant, letters on a printed page, etc.
* Exercise your memory by recalling twenty things you did yesterday.
* Take two minutes to think of qualities you like about yourself, giving specific examples for each.

Easy Steps

When you are facing something you think is insurmountable, try to overcome it by taking easy, little steps one day at a time. Try to establish a small, easily unattainable goal, so that letting go happens without trying too hard. In time, you will be able to let go of tiny bit of irritation and reduce tension slowly. Remember to just take your time till you have reduced the pressure into half.

Repeating the Obvious

Repeating the obvious quickly clarifies your thinking about a problem situation.

Here are two kinds of obvious statements that are valuable to repeat:

* “I understand” statements—these statements explain why you have a problem or unhappy feeling.
* “I can” statements-- repeating what we can do to alleviate your problems in empowering and reassuring.

The Companion

Having somebody beside you and feeling that loving companion meets a profound emotional need. This helps ease tension and pain in the most soothing way possible.

Here is a simple way to relieve yourself through visualizing or imagining a companion: Imagine that a deeply caring and insightful person is standing beside you, touching you in a reassuring manner, and offering words of encouragement. You listen. Then you go on with your activities knowing that you can come back for advice and support any time you choose.

Self-Acceptance

Don’t let negative thoughts about yourself defeat you. Always remember that yourself is your trusted ally. During stressful situations, stop for a moment and remember that you need to be good to yourself. Say or think that you care about yourself, reassure and reaffirm. Don’t put yourself down with harsh words and negative feelings, this will only make you feel more stressed, wasting away all your energies.

Your Special Assets

To support self-acceptance, feed your self-esteem with concrete positive statements. This effective technique will counter your tendency to put yourself down.

A simple way to do this is making a list of your own strengths and virtues. Carry this list with you wherever you go. And at times when you are feeling low, pull out the list and focus on your strengths, thinking of examples for each one.

Instant Relaxation

Here’s a flexible technique that you can use as an instant relaxation technique which you may either do for 15 or 3 minutes.

Sit or lie down with your eyes closed. Count backwards slowly, using the following sentences:

o Three: I am ready for rest and relaxation;
o Two: With every breath, I let go and relax more deeply;
o One: I am now completely open to rest and relaxation. Then go through your body and release the excess tension in:
* your legs and feet
* your arms and hands
* your torso
* your neck, head and face

Opening Up to Pleasure

Learn the art of embracing your satisfaction by opening up to pleasure. Simply feel good when you are feeling good. Don’t pressure yourself to feel better. This must not be a duty or effort. Try and experiment with allowing unnecessary tension to fade, and allowing satisfaction to fill you up inside. Keep letting go both in the good times and the bad. Learn to enjoy each side of life’s kaleidoscope.

The Mental Speedometer

Visualize your mind as a speedometer that reacts according how you let the thoughts flow. This will help you slowdown when you are “speeding up” as you exaggerate your thoughts. Your mental speedometer will help your thoughts stay at the right speed and at the right pace even when you are anxious or stressed.

How Bad is It?

When you are resisting something—be it a chore, an unwanted event, or a scary responsibility—try to objectively evaluate how uncomfortable you will be because of these worries. Rate them as follows:

5. Absolute agony.

* A discomfort that cannot be endured for more than an hour.
* A feeling that is quite unpleasant, but that can be tolerated to gain something of value.
* Moderate discomfort.
* Mild discomfort, like an itch or an ache.

Understanding the intensity of these things that bother you can help you eventually let go of the stress that holds you down.

Spiritual Reconnection

Sometimes the techniques don’t free you of the frustrations in life. At times, reconnecting with something larger than yourself makes you feel a lot better.
Having spiritual reconnection helps you put your problems in perspective by focusing on what is truly significant.

Nonresistance

There are some pressures that you need not push away for you to feel better. There are those stressing things and situations that you can simply allow to be there, without touching you.

The following affirmations are useful in this technique:

o I can ignore what’s bothering me, and focus on what’s useful or enjoyable.
o Negative sensations can’t run my life.
o I can separate myself from other people’s emotions

That’s Me

Sometimes you get more stressed by what people do to you more than the unexpected events in your life. To relieve this unlikely stress every time a person does something that you dislike, always remind yourself that you also do similar things at times. Nobody is perfect. Everyone has faults. Just like you, everyone still has a good in them.
Doing this technique helps you develop humility, drop self-righteousness and demonstrate kinship with other people. More importantly, this technique helps you relax and feel better.