More often than not, we face stress on a daily basis. When left undealt with, this stress spreads like a virus infecting our decision-making process and our mood.

To help you combat stress on a daily basis, we want to give you short-term and long-term stress busters that you can use.

1. Short-Term Stress Busters

a) S.T.O.P.P

When you are confronted with a stressful situation, keep this acronym in mind. This is a five-step process to help you deal with stress as you face it.

S – Stop

Before you can react to a stressful situation, stop. It’s always better to take some time to think about your response, instead of reacting in a manner that will hurt others.

T – Take a Breath

Taking deep breaths will help lower your stress instantly. When you breathe deeply, your brain receives messages to calm down and relax. The brain then sends messages to the body to lower your heart rate, blood pressure, etc.

O – Observe

Taking a pause during extremely stressful situations gives you a chance to take a closer look at the stressor and assess the situation. These are a few questions to ask yourself. It will be helpful to take note of your observations.

– What kinds of thoughts are going through your mind?

– What or whom are you reacting to?

– What sensations do you feel in your body?

– What is the focus of your attention?

P – Put in Some Perspective

Stressful situations rob us of our joy and peace of mind. It is important to make sure that you are controlling the stress and not the other way around. Putting your stressful situations into perspective will help you take back control.

Think about these questions:

– What is the bigger picture?

– What is another way of looking at this situation?

– What would a trusted friend say?

– What is a more reasonable explanation?

– How important is this? Will it still be important in six months?

P – Practice What Works – Proceed

Now that you have taken the time to observe and put your stressful situations into perspective, you should respond to the circumstances. Respond by considering these three main points:

– What is the best thing to do right now?

– What is best for me and others in this situation?

– What can I do that fits with my values?

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b) Set Aside Worry Time

This is the second short-term stress buster.

This activity requires you to “set aside” or “schedule time” to worry about whatever is bothering you. Sounds a bit strange? Well, it’s a technique that works well. The time you set aside should be dedicated to thinking about and writing down the issues that are bothering you. It’s also a good time to think of solutions for these issues. A new study by researchers in the Netherlands found that scheduling 30 min each day to “worry” helped people cope with their problems much better.

2. Long-Term Stress Busters

a) Plan. Plan. Plan

Plan your time effectively and set achievable goals. By doing this, you eliminate the stress that comes from procrastinating on a task. It also helps you focus on the goals you need to achieve.

b) Organize.

Organize your work desk, laptop desktop, wardrobe, room, etc. When things are organized, there is less room for stressors.

c) Relax

Take some time out for yourself to do something that you enjoy. Engaging with your favorite hobby will help lighten your mood and help you de-stress.

In the long run, you need to cultivate a lifestyle that can equip you to lead a happier stress-free life. These are five things that will help you get started to develop this lifestyle.

– Treat physical illness

– Eat healthily

– Avoid mood-altering drugs

– Sleep well

– Exercise

If you need expert advice on eliminating stress to live a happier life, get in touch with us today.