Before getting into a few of the most effective stress management strategies, it’s important to take a look at the stress management definition.
The definition of stress management is this; a set of techniques and programs intended to help people deal more effectively with stress in their lives by analysing the specific stressors and taking positive actions to minimise their effects.
As you can tell from the official definition, stress management can vary from person to person.
What one person finds relaxing another may find stressful, and because of this, finding a universal set of methods to reduce stress can be rather difficult.
That is, with a few key exceptions.
There are a few methods we know of that reduce stress for everyone, and these all revolve around changing certain chemicals in the body by doing specific things.
All of the methods we will showcase today will work for anyone, no matter what your preferred relaxation methods are.
Of course, one or more of the stress management strategies we are about to list may not be well-suited to your lifestyle or you may be physically unable to do something we mention, and this is completely fine.
To put it simply; just do what you can.
If you can do them all, then you are going to get the maximum effect and almost rid your life of stress completely.
If you can only do a few, then it is still going to make your life a whole lot easier.
With that being said; here are a few of the best stress management strategies you can use to reduce stress and improve your life.
1. Quit Any Bad Habits
Most of us have bad habits. Whether it be gambling or drinking alcohol, we all have some kind of vice that holds us down.
Well, this should be the first place we look towards when trying to reduce stress.
While bad habits like smoking or drinking may make us feel good in the short term, they have a variety of lasting effects that often make us feel much more stressed out in the long term.
Whether this be because of the physical effects of a certain vice or a by-product makes no difference; quitting harmful habits is going to make an astronomical difference in your life.
Of course, we are not by any means saying that this is going to be easy. If you have a severe addiction to something, it is going to take weeks or even months of hard work and dedication.
However, if you truly want to reduce your stress and are willing to do anything in your power, then quitting or at least managing your harmful habits should be one of the first places you look.
2. Get Some Exercise
Next up, we have exercise. You probably knew this one was coming.
Studies have shown that exercising on a regular basis can help regulate stress and reduce its effects dramatically, making it a great tool for anyone who is able to reap its advantages.
Moreover, it doesn’t really matter what form of exercise you do.
You could hit the gym or you could go for a run around town – both will give you the benefits that come from exercise.
While we here at MovingForwards would recommend that you start a weightlifting routine to grow stronger in general and have something to work towards, you have full reign over what type of exercise you do if you just want to reduce stress.
That all goes without mentioning the many physical health benefits that come with exercising – there are just too many to list.
Exercising is one of the best forms of stress management there is, and if you want to get access to its many benefits, then you should begin a solid workout routine immediately.
3. Eat Healthily
Taking the third spot on the list is eating healthily.
Many people underestimate the impact that our diets can have on our moods and stress levels, but the truth is that they play a significant contribution in how we feel day-to-day.
For example, if you have a terrible diet that primarily consists of junk food, you are likely going to feel lethargic, tired, and more anxious.
Furthermore, you will be much more likely to become overweight or obese if you have a bad diet over a long period of time, both of which can be detrimental to your mental health and stress levels.
Once again, cleaning up your diet isn’t going to be easy.
You may have eaten badly for the past ten years; it might be all you know.
This is why taking little steps is of tremendous importance.
Simple things like swapping out one food for a healthy alternative or buying a multivitamin to ensure that you are not deficient in any nutrients can make a huge difference, and you might find that most of your stress goes away once you start eating healthily.
Eating healthily is one of the best things you can do when it comes to stress management, and any expert you ask is going to agree that this is the case.
4. Get Up and Go to Sleep at the Same Time Most Days
Somewhat of a peculiar solution to stress management is getting up and going to sleep at the same time every day.
To most people, this is going to sound like absolute rubbish; why would going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day reduce stress?
Well, it’s simple. Our bodies have a circadian rhythm – an internal clock that tells us when it is day time and night time.
Our circadian rhythms are vital for regulating our mood and general health, and when we have no set schedule for getting up or going to sleep, it can cause a ton of problems. One of which is additional stress.
By simply getting up and going to sleep at the same time every day (or at least most days), we can allow our circadian rhythm to get into a routine and function optimally.
This will reduce stress, dampen anxiety, and increase happiness.
Moreover, it doesn’t matter what time you set for when you wake up and go to sleep.
As long as the times you choose are reasonable, you can set any schedule you desire and make your routine work for you.
This might be a little difficult if your job requires you to work different shifts on different days (stress management at work is a whole different ballpark), but you can still do everything in your power to ensure as much consistency as possible.
It might seem a little strange, but waking up and going to sleep at the same time every day is one of the most effective stress management strategies there is.
5. Meditate
Last but certainly not least, we have meditation.
Many people assume that meditation is reserved for Buddhist monks or individuals that consider themselves to be spiritually enlightened, but this is just not the case.
Meditation has real, tangible benefits that have been proven in peer-reviewed studies, and reducing stress is just one of the many benefits that meditation offers.
Meditation even changes the brain by reducing the size of the amygdala (the part of our brain responsible for fear and anxiety) and increasing grey matter (which is connected to life satisfaction and awareness).
On top of this, meditation is incredibly easy. All you need to do is close your eyes and focus on your breath. If any thoughts come along, gently remind yourself to focus on your breath.
This is all there is to it. To get all the benefits of meditation, you will want to work up to two twenty-minute sessions every day.
This will take some time to work towards – you might only be able to sit still for 30 seconds when you first begin. But it’s a good goal to aim for.
Meditation can reduce your stress exponentially, and you should put away your misconceptions and start meditating every day if you want to help yourself.
Stress Management – FAQs
What Are The Best Stress Management Tips?
The best stress management tips are to exercise, meditate, have a good sleep schedule, quit bad habits, and eat healthily.
All of these tips can reduce stress to a noticeable degree.
What is The Stress Management Definition?
The stress management definition is this; a set of techniques and programs intended to help people deal more effectively with stress in their lives by analysing the specific stressors and taking positive actions to minimise their effects.
What Are The Best Stress Management Strategies?
The best stress management strategies are to set a sleep schedule, exercise, meditate, quit bad habits, and eat healthily.
With these strategies, you can minimise the amount of stress you feel on a daily basis.
How to Do Stress Management at Work?
Navigating stress management at work is no different than regular stress management.
By taking steps to reduce your stress outside of work, like exercising or quitting bad habits, you will also reduce your stress at the workplace.
We hope our stress management tips will be able to help you.
The methods of stress management that we have given you in this article are tried and tested and backed by science, meaning they are all well worth your time.
Anyone can effectively manage their stress with just a few simple life changes – you would be surprised at how much of a difference a couple of small changes would make.
However, if you would like more advice, it might be a good idea to do a search for “stress management NHS” and get their handy stress management booklet.
This is optional of course, but it can be nice to have something physical in your hands that you can carry around with you.
If you would like more tips and tricks for dealing with stress or are just looking to improve yourself in general, don’t hesitate to take a look at the rest of our content here on MovingForwards.
