How to Relax and De Stress
Write down your thoughts., Make a game plan., Vow to eliminate as many sources of stress as you can., Share your feelings., Know when to get help.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Write down your thoughts.
Before you can begin to relax and minimize the stress in your life, it's time to sit down and put pen to paper to write down your feelings.
If you're really stressed, it's likely that you haven't had much time to just sit down and be alone with your thoughts, so just by writing what you're feeling, you're already beginning the process.
Here's what you can write:
What are you feeling? What goes through your mind and body on a daily basis, and how much stress are you feeling? Would you say you have always been stressed, or that you're in a particularly stressful period of your life? Consider the sources of your stress.
Are you stressed because of work, your relationship, a situation with your family, or a combination of many factors? What can you do to address these situations to minimize your stress? If it's helpful, write down your thoughts nearly every day.
Being aware of how you're feeling and what your stress triggers are can go a long way in helping you address your stress. , Once you've written down your general feelings and feel more comfortable expressing how stressed out you really are, you should take the time to make a game plan that will help you start addressing the stress in your life.
Though many aspects of life are inherently stressful, there are many things you can do to make it easier for yourself to relax.
Your game plan should have three main parts:
Short-term solutions.
Make a list of short-term actions that can minimize your stress.
For example, if your hellish commute to work is a major source of your stress, try leaving for work twenty minutes early to beat the traffic.
Long-term solutions.
Make a plan to be a more relaxed person overall.
This will include how you view your work, your relationships, and your responsibilities.
For example, if one of your major sources of stress is that you're overcommitted at work, make a game-plan to lower your work responsibilities over a long period of time.
Making time for relaxation.
Take a look at your schedule and block out time each day for relaxation.
Even if part of the reasons that you're so stressed is that you have no free time, you should squeeze in time wherever you can, whether it's in the morning or right before bed. , Though you can't turn your life upside down to eliminate stress, you can certainly find a way to eliminate any sources of constant stress in your life.
This will make a marked difference on your every day life.
Here are some examples of stressful situations you can eliminate:
Get rid of the toxic friend.
If you have a "friend" who does nothing but cause you grief, make you feel bad, and generally stress you out, it may be time to do some friend "spring cleaning." Do some real spring cleaning.
If your desk, briefcase, and home are so filled with clutter and loose papers that you can never find anything, clean up to make your life easier.
Try to avoid stressful situations.
If you always feel stressed out at concerts but your boyfriend really loves them, listen to music at home instead.
If cooking for guests really stresses you out, order in the next time you planned on cooking a meal.
Plan ahead.
If you're stressed out because you haven't worked out the details of a trip that's months away, start booking your flight and hotel so you can stop worrying about it already. , You don't have to feel alone in your plan to minimize the stress in your life.
You'll feel better about your feelings and less isolated if you're able to openly and candidly speak about your stress to a friend or family member.
Just having someone who will listen to your problems will help you minimize your level of stress.
Talk to a close friend about how stressed you're feeling.
It's likely that your friend is also dealing with stress or has dealt with serious stress at some point, so be open to suggestions and advice.
Open up to a family member about your stress.
A family member can help give you the affection and support you need to overcome your stress. , If you feel absolutely debilitated by stress and can barely sleep, eat, or see straight because you're so worried about all of your responsibilities and feel completely incapable of dealing with them, then you may not be able to deal with the problem alone.
See a health professional to debrief and to find some constructive ways to deal with your problems.
A professional can help even if your feelings are situational.
If you're stressed out because you're planning a wedding and have started a new taxing job, a professional can teach you stress-management techniques that you can use for the rest of your life. -
Step 2: Make a game plan.
-
Step 3: Vow to eliminate as many sources of stress as you can.
-
Step 4: Share your feelings.
-
Step 5: Know when to get help.
Detailed Guide
Before you can begin to relax and minimize the stress in your life, it's time to sit down and put pen to paper to write down your feelings.
If you're really stressed, it's likely that you haven't had much time to just sit down and be alone with your thoughts, so just by writing what you're feeling, you're already beginning the process.
Here's what you can write:
What are you feeling? What goes through your mind and body on a daily basis, and how much stress are you feeling? Would you say you have always been stressed, or that you're in a particularly stressful period of your life? Consider the sources of your stress.
Are you stressed because of work, your relationship, a situation with your family, or a combination of many factors? What can you do to address these situations to minimize your stress? If it's helpful, write down your thoughts nearly every day.
Being aware of how you're feeling and what your stress triggers are can go a long way in helping you address your stress. , Once you've written down your general feelings and feel more comfortable expressing how stressed out you really are, you should take the time to make a game plan that will help you start addressing the stress in your life.
Though many aspects of life are inherently stressful, there are many things you can do to make it easier for yourself to relax.
Your game plan should have three main parts:
Short-term solutions.
Make a list of short-term actions that can minimize your stress.
For example, if your hellish commute to work is a major source of your stress, try leaving for work twenty minutes early to beat the traffic.
Long-term solutions.
Make a plan to be a more relaxed person overall.
This will include how you view your work, your relationships, and your responsibilities.
For example, if one of your major sources of stress is that you're overcommitted at work, make a game-plan to lower your work responsibilities over a long period of time.
Making time for relaxation.
Take a look at your schedule and block out time each day for relaxation.
Even if part of the reasons that you're so stressed is that you have no free time, you should squeeze in time wherever you can, whether it's in the morning or right before bed. , Though you can't turn your life upside down to eliminate stress, you can certainly find a way to eliminate any sources of constant stress in your life.
This will make a marked difference on your every day life.
Here are some examples of stressful situations you can eliminate:
Get rid of the toxic friend.
If you have a "friend" who does nothing but cause you grief, make you feel bad, and generally stress you out, it may be time to do some friend "spring cleaning." Do some real spring cleaning.
If your desk, briefcase, and home are so filled with clutter and loose papers that you can never find anything, clean up to make your life easier.
Try to avoid stressful situations.
If you always feel stressed out at concerts but your boyfriend really loves them, listen to music at home instead.
If cooking for guests really stresses you out, order in the next time you planned on cooking a meal.
Plan ahead.
If you're stressed out because you haven't worked out the details of a trip that's months away, start booking your flight and hotel so you can stop worrying about it already. , You don't have to feel alone in your plan to minimize the stress in your life.
You'll feel better about your feelings and less isolated if you're able to openly and candidly speak about your stress to a friend or family member.
Just having someone who will listen to your problems will help you minimize your level of stress.
Talk to a close friend about how stressed you're feeling.
It's likely that your friend is also dealing with stress or has dealt with serious stress at some point, so be open to suggestions and advice.
Open up to a family member about your stress.
A family member can help give you the affection and support you need to overcome your stress. , If you feel absolutely debilitated by stress and can barely sleep, eat, or see straight because you're so worried about all of your responsibilities and feel completely incapable of dealing with them, then you may not be able to deal with the problem alone.
See a health professional to debrief and to find some constructive ways to deal with your problems.
A professional can help even if your feelings are situational.
If you're stressed out because you're planning a wedding and have started a new taxing job, a professional can teach you stress-management techniques that you can use for the rest of your life.
About the Author
Claire Jordan
Brings years of experience writing about crafts and related subjects.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: