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September 25, 2014
by Marti Wormuth, MA

Reducing Stress in Your Daily Life

September 25, 2014 04:55 by Marti Wormuth, MA  [About the Author]

Stress is something that all of us deal with on a regular basis, and if it is allowed to go on too long, it can end up causing a lot of issues for your body and your overall health. In this article, we're going to take a brief look at stress and see how it can end up affecting your body, your wellbeing, and your entire life. 

What is Stress?

You probably know how it starts - everything starts to pile up all around you and you aren't exactly sure how to deal with it. You may feel like you have no control over certain areas of your life, or you may have countless deadlines that are accumulating and making it difficult for you to move forward with anything that you have to get done. 

The medical definition of stress is that point when your mind isn't the only thing that is reacting to the "overload" that you feel. Your body starts to react as well. There are a number of symptoms that are associated with stress, including the following:

  • Memory issues and processing issues.
  • Aches and pains.
  • Digestive problems, including nausea, diarrhea, and constipation.
  • Loss of desire for various things, including sleep, food, sex, etc.
  • Appetite changes. 
  • Lack of energy.
  • Procrastination and avoidance.

As you can see, stress can affect every area of the self, from the mental, to the physical, to the emotional. It really isn't hard to see why, over an extended period of time, this can be incredibly detrimental to your body. It can cause high blood pressure, mental health issues, and more.  The good news is, you can take control of it again and live a life that isn't so full of stress. 

What Can I Do to Control My Stress?

Obviously, there are a lot of ways that you can learn to deal with your stress. We have a few hints here that you can try in order to start moving forward and so that you can enjoy a life that, even though it may have stress, won't be considered "stressful." 

Learn relaxation techniques. There are a lot of ways that you can relax, and you have to find the ones that work best for you. Do you start to feel less stressed if you step away from your desk and take a walk? Do you do better if you make up lists for all of the things that you have to do? Have breathing exercises helped you before? You may have to test some relaxation techniques before you find the one(s) that work for you, but with so many out there, it shouldn't be really hard to find one that works. 

Reduce stressful situations in your life. If you have stressful people in your life, you're going to feel stressed out. Sometimes, we just have to take time away from those people so that we don't stress out as badly. Obviously, you cannot eliminate your job, but you can do things to make sure that it isn't causing you as much consternation. Work with your boss and other employees to try and reduce the amount of stress that you're dealing with. If you have to get away from your kids for a short bit, find a way to do it. By taking time for yourself and learning how to reduce stress, you're going to be more likely to find healthy ways to move forward. 

Be more positive in your thinking. We all hate hearing "be positive," but that's just how it is sometimes. Instead of being pessimistic, try and think about the positives about a situation. It won't solve everything, but a more optimistic outlook will help you to reduce the amount of stress you're dealing with and it will make life more enjoyable as well. 

Talk to a specialist. Specialists are trained to help people with all sorts of struggles, so don't feel like your struggle with being too stressed out is too small. Instead of trying to figure all of this out by yourself, go and talk to a therapist that can help you figure out exactly what you need to do and how you can move forward from the stress. You may find that there are some underlying issues that, when resolved and discovered, will help you to live with a lot less stress. So talk to a therapist as soon as possible.  

Never try to go through something like extreme stress on your own. There are plenty of specialists out there that can help walk you through your stress and teach you how to live a life that is less stressful and more enjoyable. Look for a therapist in your area that can teach you these appropriate skills, and start your journey toward wholeness and health today. 

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Feature, J. M. (2014). How to Reduce Stress: 10 Relaxation Techniques To Reduce Stress on the Spot. Retrieved May 27, 2014, from http://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/blissing-out-10-relaxation-techniques-reduce-stress-spot

Mayo Clinic Staff. (2014, May 8). Stress management. Retrieved May 27, 2014, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/stress-management/in-depth/relaxation-technique/art-20045368

Reese, N. (2013, February 27). 10 Simple Ways to Relieve Stress. Retrieved May 27, 2014, from http://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/10-ways-to-relieve-stress

Smith, M., Segal, R., & Segal, J. (2014, May 15). Stress Symptoms, Signs, & Causes. Retrieved May 27, 2014, from http://www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_signs.htm

Smith, M., & Segal, R. (2014, May). Stress Management. Retrieved May 27, 2014, from http://www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_management_relief_coping.htm

About the Author

Marti Wormuth, MA Marti Wormuth, MA

Marti has a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and a Master’s in Communication Studies. Her favorite activities include reading, playing games, and hanging out with the students at her church. Marti volunteers with the youth ministry at her church as a teacher and mentor. Because of this, she recently started another degree, her graduate certificate in student ministries. She considers her current graduate work to be a stepping stone to becoming a youth pastor or a published author.

Professional Website: martis-miscellany.com/
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