This article will offer you simple techniques to cope with stress. A whooping 80% of people say they have recently experienced physical and emotional symptoms of stress, like headache or feeling overwhelmed or depressed, the American Psychological Association reports. And no wonder, more than ever before we are being bombarded by negative messages on the news, on our social media feeds, even in conversations with friends. This onslaught of negativity creates a sense of helpless. We feel at the mercy of outside forces and up against problems that are so big, we can’t even find a solution. Thinking of fear and worry as raw energy can help you redirect these emotions toward a more positive use.
5 simple techniques to cope with stress
Workout.
Implementing exrcises into your day could protect you from the mental and physical effects of stress. In one study, conducted by Harvard phychologist, people cycled for 25 minutes, completed a stressful puzzle and a math problem, then reported how they felt. When they worked out beforehand, participants tended to feel more upbeat and bounced back from the stress faster than when they just stretched or sat quietly, even if they were worriers by nature. Exercise seems to have a buffering effect. As little as 15 min of cardio may trigger an increase in a substance called brain- derived neurotrophic factor, which could protect your neurons from the damaging effects of the stress hormone cortisol, making you more resilent.
Start your day right.
Stop checking your feed when you wake up. One of our recent studies found that people who were exposed to just 3 min of negative news early in the morning had a 27 % greater likelihood of saying they had a bad day than those who watched inspiring news. Our brains are designed to help us detect danger, which is why gloomy info affects us so strongly. Instead of catching on current events or emails first thing- spend a few minutes doing something you enjoy, such as meditating, taking a walk or just chilling with a cup of coffee.
Take action.
Feeling powerless exacerbates stress, while feeling effective decreases it. Find one or two concrete actions, even if they are small ones, that will improve things for you, other people, or the community and you will be less depleted by negative events. For example, if you saw something bad on the news in connection with COVID-19 or Black Lives Matter- donate a few dollars to a related cause. Small actions multiplied by thousands of people can have real effects.
Do one positive thing!
It will reenergize and inspire you! Buy someone a coffee or send some flowers to your mom, or simply say “Good job” or “You look great” to a stranger.
Breathe!
Count down from 10 while breathing deeply through your nose. This simple stress- reduction technique helps give you a sense of control, reducing anxiety and improving performance. Sounds too simple?
Now that you have 5 simple techniques to cope with stress. Just do it NOW!
