Six strategies for dealing with stress Unfortunately there is no magic wand that will remove the impact of stress on your life. Controlling stress is an active process which means that you will have to take steps to limit its impact. However, there are some very simple steps that you can take to do this which may help your stress levels work for you instead of against you. Step One: Be careful about what you eat and drink Try to eat a well-balanced diet, eating at least three regular meals a day. Eat foods which will release energy slowly and are likely to have a calming effect. Food or drink high in sugar may give you instant energy, but in the long term may wind you up leaving you feeling more nervy and edgy than you did before. Limit your consumption of caffeine particularly found in tea, coffee, and fizzy soft drinks. Excess caffeine tends to heighten arousal and increases "jittery" feelings; it can also impair your concentration and may keep you awake at night. Try to also limit your use of alcohol and to avoid all use of non-prescribed drugs. These may make you feel better in the short term, but can prevent you from sleeping properly; they can also impair your ability to do your work. Some people drink alcohol and / or smoke more to control their stress levels, but it would be a good decision to try to develop more healthy ways of controlling your stress. Step Two: Get enough sleep Make sure that you get plenty of rest; six to eight hours a night are recommended. If getting to sleep is a problem, ensure that you have at least a half an hour break before going to bed. Use this break to do anything relaxing which will take your mind off your work such as: 1. having a soak in the bath; 2. chatting to a friend; 3. reading for fun, not work-related; 4. listening to music. Step Three: Take regular exercise Exercising regularly will not only help to keep you physically healthy, but also uses up the hormones and nervous energy produced when you are stressed. Exercise will also help to relax the muscles which become tense when you are stressed, and, as exercise increases the blood flow around the body, it can help you to think more clearly. You do not have to take up a strenuous sport: try swimming, walking, cycling or dancing. Anything that gets you moving around and is enjoyable is beneficial, especially if it involves spending at least half an hour in the fresh air every day. Step Four: Control your breathing If you notice that you are starting to feel very stressed, for example as you wait an event to start, try to regulate your breathing by concentrating on breathing out to a slow count of four; the breathing in will take care of itself. It will be helpful if you practice this exercise when you are not stressed so that you are very familiar with the technique when you need actually need it. Step Five: Make time for fun Build leisure time into your weekends AND your work days. Get involved in a non-work-related activity, such as sports, crafts, hobbies or music. Anything that you find relaxing or enjoyable which will give you a break from thinking or worrying about your work will be beneficial. Step Six: Improve your study/work skills Effective study/work skills can reduce stress by making you feel more in control of your work and more confident that you will succeed. Look for a workshop or review your approach in an individual consultation with an adviser. It may also be useful to talk to a mentor or colleague to get subject-specific advice about problem areas. Remember that most of your fellows will be feeling the same way as you do. Tell your friends and family how you feel and find ways of relaxing with them which will help to support you. Adapted from an article at libweb.surrey.ac.uk/library/skills 4 Easy Stress Management Strategies Published on June 6, 2012 by Dan Buettner in Thrive, found on www.PsychologyToday.com/blog/thrive/201206 Stress is often referred to as the silent killer and causes many harmful, often overlooked effects, which can introduce pain and strain into your daily activities. It can affect your work, school, friendships, relationships and even sleep habits. It can result in physical suffering as well and can manifest as a headache, upset stomach or back pain. Stress can reduce the ability of your immune system to fight off colds and other illnesses the body would normally be able to fend off. In fact, Dr. David Danskin from Kansas State University estimates that 85% of doctor visits are due to stress-related causes. It’s important to learn how to effectively identify and manage stress in your life to increase your longevity and become a happier, healthier person. The first step in managing stress is identifying the cause. This may be a major life event that has recently occurred. A recent job change, marriage, increased workload or new baby can all lead to increased personal stress. Sometimes the causes are not obvious, such as poor time management skills, excessive worrying and ineffective coping strategies. Here are a few strategies you can use to combat the stress in your life. Tip 1: Keep a daily stress journal. This will help identify how much stress you are under, potential stress triggers and ways to reduce stress in your life. Take 15 minutes a day to describe any event that caused you to become stressed and any resulting emotional or physical response. Over time, you will be able to identify patterns, which will help you develop healthy management strategies. Label your entries with the date and time and use adjectives! Take your stress journal to your doctor if you need additional advice. Tip 2: Learn to say “no” when you have too many activities in your schedule. Saying no when you are reaching your limit can be very empowering! People will respect your boundaries and be more appreciative of your time when you do agree to take on a favor or additional responsibility. Be firm but polite. Practice saying “no” in the mirror to gain confidence! Tip 3: Drink water. This may surprise you, but keeping your body hydrated will help you feel better, improve your mood and ensure your body is getting the nutrients it needs! Your body produces the hormone, cortisol, in response to stress. Dehydration, even by levels as low as 17 oz (just over two glasses) increases cortisol levels in your body. Tip 4: Eat well. In addition to drinking water, pay attention to what you eat. Diets high in fiber and low in saturated fat have a positive effect on overall mood. Diane M Becker, MPH, ScD and Director of the Center for Health Promotion at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, warns people against high-fat, high-glycemic loads meals, which “can make you physically feel dysfunction afterwards.” B vitamins, especially folic acid (folate) and vitamin B12 are known to help prevent mood disorders, including depression. These vitamins are found in spinach, romaine lettuce, lean chicken breasts, meat. found on www.PsychologyToday.com/blog/thrive/201206 Top 10 Stress Relievers: The Best Ways To Feel Better There are many ways to reduce tension and relax, but some are more effective than others. Here are ten stress relievers proven to be among the most effective for the amount of work and time involved. Most can be learned in the time it takes to read this page, and will help you to feel more relaxed almost immediately. And even more exciting, the stress relief benefits will increase with regular practice. Try as many as you can--there's something here for everyone! 1 . Breathing Exercises Deep breathing is an easy stress reliever that has numerous benefits for the body, including relaxing muscles and quieting the mind. Breathing exercises are especially helpful because you can do them anywhere, and they work quickly so you can de-stress in a flash. 2 . Meditation Meditation builds on deep breathing, and takes it a step further. When you meditate, your brain enters an area of functioning that’s similar to sleep, but carries some added benefits you can’t achieve as well in any other state, and meditation actually allows you to build greater resilience toward stress over time. 3 . Guided Imagery It takes slightly more time to practice guided imagery, but this is a great way to leave your stress behind for a while and relax your body. Some find it easier to practice than meditation, as it allows more engagement of the conscious mind. 4 . Visualizations Building on guided imagery, you can also imagine yourself achieving goals like becoming healthier and more relaxed, doing well at tasks, and handling conflict in better ways. Also, visualizing yourself doing well on tasks you’re trying to master actually functions like physical practice, so you can improve your performance through visualizations as well! 5 . Yoga Yoga is one of the oldest self-improvement practices around, dating back over 5 thousand years! It combines the practices of several other stress management techniques such as breathing, meditation, imagery and movement, giving you a lot of benefit for the amount of time and energy required. 6 . Self-hypnosis Self-hypnosis incorporates some of the features of guided imagery and visualizations, with the added benefit of enabling you to communicate directly you’re your subconscious mind to enhance your abilities, more easily give up bad habits, feel less pain, more effectively develop healthier habits, and even find answers to questions that may not be clear to your waking mind! 7 .