STRESS CONTROL

First you should identify the sources of stress in your life. It is not easy but possible. Sometimes your true sources of stress are not always obvious (it could be just thoughts or feelings) but very often women could identify clearly their stress factors (job, relations, accidents, trauma, etc.)

Second important step is to identify how you cope with stress – what are negative attitudes or actions triggered by stress. Are your stress responses healthy or unhealthy, helpful or unproductive, nice or bad, useful or useless, kind or impolite?

If you “treat” your stress with smoking, drinking, overeating or undereating, shouting, withdrawing from friends or family, seating home for days or weeks – that is very wrong strategy and wrong way to control your stress.

How you can control stress

There is no standard method which could be recommended to all women for stress control - no single method works for everyone or in every situation. All women are different with different character, different lifestyle, different education and/or attitudes, so each woman should experiment and select best methods, techniques and strategies which help to control the stress. Just focus on what makes you feel calm, relaxed, happy and in control.

Prioritize your activities if you are overloaded

If you are overloaded, just select most important responsibilities. Sometimes better to cancel some planned or requested activities.

Try to be realistic in your life – plan things you can do and never promise things you cannot do. Don’t even try to be perfect because nobody is perfect.

Don’t afraid to ask for help if needed – some friends and family members could be very useful.

Insure your deep healthy night sleep

Deep healthy night sleep is absolutely necessary for daily recovery - enough sleep helps keep your body and mind in top shape, making you better equipped to deal with stress.

Lack of restful sleep can keep women in stress with all consequences even provoking some diseases. Not enough sleep for a long time can cause health problems such as diabetes and high blood pressure worse.

It is well known that adults need at least7-9 hours of sleep for maintaining normal health indicators and carry daily normal activities (different for each person).

Teenagers need longer sleep – about 10-11 hours per day – for insuring normal grow, development and for “covering” teenagers increased activities.

Remember that sleep disorders in women can cause lack of energy, fatigue, exhaustion, difficulties with concentration and/or memory, morning headaches.

Use regularly all possible relaxation methods

Every woman should know at least few relaxation techniques because body relaxation response is the best natural antidote to stress. The chemical benefits of the relaxation response can be activated simply by relaxing (meditation, breathing exercises, taking a relaxing bath, reading a good book).

Better make special time for fun and relaxation - if you regularly make time for fun and relaxation, you will be in a better shape to handle the stress.

Not always you need to learn special relaxation methodologies. There are many simple relaxation possibilities such as spending time with friends, going for walk, spending time at sea site or in the forest, writing poem or diary, chatting in forums, taking a bath, swimming, gardening, taking pets for walk, visiting massage salon or beauty salon, jogging, doing exercises, visiting cinema or opera, etc.

Important is to keep always a time for fun and relaxation regularly (preferably daily) – do something you enjoy every day.

Always remember that happy funny people can control stress much better.

Build and strengthen your healthy lifestyle

Healthy lifestyle makes you stronger physically and mentally. Healthy lifestyle includes healthy food (healthy diet), regular exercises, healthy sleep hygiene (enough deep sleep) and absence of negative factors such as alcohol, tobacco, drugs, too much caffeine, too much sugar, too much salt.

Evaluate your life style! Are you respecting all mentioned factors?
Healthy lifestyle can increase your resistance and strength (physical and mental). Stronger you are – better you can deal with stress control.

Regular exercises at least 30 minutes 3-4 times a week can prevent and reduce the negative effects of stress.

Healthy food makes your body stronger and help to cope with stress easier.

Increased volumes of caffeine and sugar overuse your body’s energy and as a result you can experience crash in mood and energy.

Alcohol, cigarettes and drugs are well known as “easy escape” from stress but the relief is only temporary.

Important to mention that healthy deep adequate sleep fuels your mind and body – good sleep makes you healthier and stronger in stress control.

Be positive and resilience!

Your behavior, thinking, attitude and thoughts influence the way you see the stress and the way you response to stress. Women with positive attitudes always cope with stress easier.

Never forget to keep your sense of humor and don’t afraid to laugh at yourself – it could help to deal with stress in certain situations. In many cases laughing helps your body fight stress in a number of ways.

When you experience any kind of stress, try to see problems as temporary and solvable, believe that you can easily deal with problems, try to think of change as a challenging and normal part of life, take positive action to avoid stress consequences.

In many cases stress could be positive (so called “Eustress”) which should be considered as a challenge and new opportunity to become stronger and better. Never think about stress as a disaster. Be optimistic! Stress can be a push and motivation for positive action to reach your goals.

Solve your problems (don’t cumulate problems) 

Never cumulate problems (small or big) – try to solve your problems as soon as possible. Cumulated problems could be a big stress for you.

Management of your everyday problems can give you a sense of stress control.

If you cannot solve your problems, better ask for help – your friends and family members could be pleased. Problem solving will increase your self-esteem and confidence.

Use so called “Four A’s” strategy

Some professionals recommend “Four A’s” strategy as a tool to control your stress. What are “Four A’s”? – it is Avoid, Alter, Adapt or Accept the stress factor.

You can cope with stress by avoiding the stressor, by altering the stressor, by adapting to the stressor or by accept the stressor.

Actually avoiding not important stress factor could be a good option. For example, you can avoid additional responsibilities, you can avoid people who stress you often, you can avoid unpleasant events or hot discussion topics, etc.

Try to alter the stressful situation – just figure out what you can do to change things so the problem doesn’t present itself in the future. It could be changes in your communication style, your attitude or your daily life. You can also express your feelings instead of bottling them up. Be ready for compromises and consensuses.

Adaptation to stress factors could also a good solution if you cannot change the stressor; better consider changing yourself by changing your expectations and attitude.

In many cases you can view stressful situations from positive perspective, you can reframe the problem and you can try to find easy solutions.

You should be ready and able sometimes to accept stress factors – in cases if stress is unavoidable. Many things in life are beyond our control. For example, you cannot change stressors such as the death of a loved one, serious illness or general financial crisis.

In some cases just accept the stress factor by forgiving - accept the fact that we live in an imperfect world and that people could make mistakes.

Use modern stress control equipment

Modern medical industry developed several effective easy to use equipments which were tested by scientists and recommended for stress control.

emWave Personal Stress Reliever - A portable and convenient way to reduce stress, balance emotions and increase performance; - Helps you control feelings of anxiety, depression and anger; - Super bright LEDs, sound control, four challenge levels, coherence scoring and advanced user mode; - An easy-to-use device that lets you and your body better deal with the tension and stress of modern life.

StressEraser Portable Biofeedback Device Portable biofeedback device for relaxation training, activates the body's natural relaxation response by synchronizing breathing with heart rate; The StressEraser is an award-winning, FDA-regulated, portable biofeedback device that helps you learn to activate your body's natural relaxation response in minutes & relax without the use of medication.

Neon Smile Face Stress Balls - A fun assortment of silly stress balls. - Squeeze these balls and all your stress will melt away. - 2 Dozen per set. - Assorted neon colors. - Balls have yarn hair. - 2 Inch Rubber balls.