http://www.wikihow.com/Relieve-Stress
Steps
- Take a deep breath. This
is your first, most immediate defense against stress. If you can
get in the habit of pausing and taking a nice, deep breath every
time you feel stress beginning to take hold, you'll have won half
the battle just by preventing it from taking over. The other half
is won by addressing the causes of your stress.
- Communicate. Whether you talk to a friend or talk to your cat,
getting it off your chest will help a lot. If you don't feel like
talking about it, write it down. Keep a journal and write down
whatever it is that's bothering you. Writing is a therapy of its
own.
- Laugh. Rediscover your sense of humor by making fun of your
situation. View it from your future self's perspective, telling
this story to a bunch of your friends over pizza and soda. Crack
some jokes. Do your goofiest impression. Tickle a child that you
love. Laughter, whether it's yours or someone else's, is the best
medicine--and it's contagious!
- Get fit. Perhaps your
health and appearance are stressing you out, but even if they're
not an issue, being physically fit can directly help relieve
stress, which exists on both a mental and a physical level.
Sometimes there's nothing like a long run, an intense yoga session,
or a fresh swim after a stressful day to help you feel relaxed and stress-free again.
- Be organized.
For the most part, stress arises from feeling overwhelmed. There's
just too much to do, and not enough time to do it. Being organized
and getting your priorities straight can help you break
responsibilities down into manageable pieces and focus on the
things that really matter to you, rather than getting caught up in
details and creating extra work for yourself--all of which leads to
more stress.
- Soothe the senses. Light a scented candle that has a calming
fragrance like lavender. Listen to your favorite, most relaxing
music or, better yet, go somewhere that you can listen to wind
rustle through trees or waves crash on the beach. Enjoy the
scenery, whether you're outdoors or viewing an art exhibit. Drink some
warm tea or taste--really taste--some dark
chocolate. Treat yourself by getting a massage or, if you want to
be alone, take a
bath (bubbles are recommended).
- Do nothing. That's
right, folks, do nothing at all. Close the door, open the
window, have a seat, and take a little break from life. If your
mind is racing, learn to meditate and just let that stress go.
- Do something that you like. Rock out to music, have some fun
and dont forget to be yourself.
- Cry.
Tips
- Be aware of your choices; you always have a choice.
- Learn to say no; you cannot do everything you are asked.
- Learn how to delegate.
- Be thankful. It
does wonders for your state of mind.
- If you need to apologize to someone, and it will not make the
situation worse, find a way to do so. More importantly, learn to
forgive, particularly to forgive yourself. Guilt adds pain to
stress.
- Relieving stress in the short term is a good idea, but
resolving the underlying causes of stress is even better. If
the same issues keep driving you up the wall time and time again,
give some serious thought as to how they can be dealt with
permanently.
Warnings
- Be wary of escapism. Do not alleviate stress by doing
something that'll only make it worse in the long run (e.g. buying a
new pair of expensive shoes when what's stressing you is
debt).
- If stress gets really bad and you feel that you cannot cope
with it, seek professional help.