7 Keys To Managing Stress

Stress is one of the great evils of the contemporary world , especially in the most developed countries. It’s not easy to stay calm in a world that runs at mind-blowing speeds thanks to technology. Nor is it easy to tolerate large doses of noise and hostility in big cities. As much as there are people who have a great capacity for habituation, managing stress is not an easy task.

In the medium  and long term, stress causes serious damage to both the mind and the body. Many physical illnesses are the result of this annoying state. Likewise, stress blocks, does not allow you to think clearly and can affect human relationships.

As long as it is not too serious a case, it is possible to manage stress using some simple measures. It all comes down to pausing and applying one or more of the tricks that we tell you below.

1. Identify when stress begins

Recognizing stress is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. Many times we only manage to grasp it when it reaches a high level. Stress manifests itself physically and emotionally. It can be of increasing intensity, or it can remain dormant.

The physical signs of stress are muscle tension, especially in the jaw, neck, and shoulder area. There is also tension in the face and normally the lips are tight. Emotionally there is a feeling of irritation, mixed with distress. These sensations tell you that it is time to stop.

2. Apply breathing techniques

Breathing is a means that is at hand and that can be applied at any time or situation to manage stress. It is an excellent mechanism to regain serenity. Slow, rhythmic breaths have been shown to activate the vagus nerve . This moderates responses to stress.

All you have to do is adopt the most comfortable position you can and start taking a very deep breath. Try to feel your lungs fill with air. Then breathe out, very slowly. In just two or three minutes, your stress level will have dropped.

3. Divert attention

Stress is associated with attack or flight responses. For this reason, at the moment when the attention is directed to the foci that gave rise to the tension. The more you fix your mind on these sources of unease, the more stressed you will feel.

That is why it is urgent that you make an effort to divert attention. Look at an object that is in your environment. Try to describe it mentally, in as much detail as possible. Then repeat this same exercise with two other objects. This will help manage stress, regulating your impulses and expanding your immediate emotional landscape.

4. Look at a relaxing image

The images communicate sensations and permeate them in the observers. That is why it is good that you always have a photograph or painting on hand that has a relaxing image. The most suitable are the landscapes, especially if they are of solitary places, cold climate and a lot of green or a lot of water.

When you feel that there is a lot of stress, looking at those images is a great help for you to relax. It is also a way to focus your mind on something pleasant, which has the effect of reducing restlessness.

5. Reinterpret the experience

Sometimes knowing that you have stress stresses you out more. You detect that you feel too much anguish and want to get rid of it as soon as possible. Since it’s not always easy, it makes you more uneasy rather than calming you down. That is why it is important that when identifying and accepting that we have stress we put in place a series of useful mechanisms to reduce it and not costly and frustrating strategies that will only raise this level of activation.

Try to recognize all the expressions that this state produces in you. How is your body? What position are you taking? How is your heartbeat? What kinds of thoughts come to your mind? These and other questions like that will help you reinterpret what you feel. When that happens, the feeling of tension gradually dissipates.

6. Adopt an anti-stress physical posture

You should know that there are stress poses and anti-stress poses. The former are, for example, sitting cross-legged in a convoluted way. Also move one leg, or both, with a fast and steady pace. The back is more hunched and the muscles of the face are very tense.

Standing with your back very straight and moving with your face will help reduce stress. It is a position that brings confidence and security. According to a Health Psychology study , this posture also inhibits cortisol production.

7. Do a simple exercise with your hands

Clenching the fists of both hands with great force and then extending them has been proven to help reduce stress. It is an aggressive gesture and for this reason it helps to release tension in moments of great concern.

All these little tricks are actually very effective in managing stress. It is normal for us to feel tension in a world like today, especially if we live in big cities. The important thing is not to allow ourselves to be invaded by stress and apply the tools to control it, when it arises.