Stress gets a bad reputation for being an opposing force, but you can view it in a different light. It is normal and a part of everyone’s life; it helps you know it is time to change things or take a break. However, not knowing how to handle stress properly can lead to permanent damage to a person’s body or mind.
Avoiding stress is not the ideal way to cope with it since it will eventually come back again, so dealing with it at the moment is the best course of action. A cognitive-behavioral therapist will tell you that stress management can help deal with the unpleasant experience at hand.
What Is Stress Management?
The skills and activities that allow one to deal with stress while experiencing it are called stress management. When people engage in these activities during a calmer period, they better teach their bodies how to handle stress. Over time, stress management skills and techniques can also become ways for stress reduction. People should reduce stress instead of only managing it. Here are three ways one can start reducing stress.
Find Out The Root Causes
Figuring out what causes the stress in the first place allows a person to work around it or protect oneself from it. Taking note of coping mechanisms like eating, listening to music, or painting can help someone figure out their triggers. Also, stress affects everyone differently, so it makes sense that people have different ways of dealing with it.
Reflecting on what helps get rid of stress after it has happened can help someone assess their health. Doing this during a low-stress period is easier since the mind is more precise and capable of reflection. When someone starts doing these activities or practices outside of stressful times, it can affect them positively in the long run.
Avoid Stressful Situations Or Events
Avoiding the source of stress can be beneficial, especially in emergencies. However, avoidance can lead to a different set of problems. Instead of running away from stress, one could try gradual exposure to it. An expert, like a therapist, can help someone practice stress reduction through exposure.
A person’s stress tolerance increases as they practice stress reduction because they are more capable of handling that feeling as it comes to them, compared to when they had no idea what to do.
Carve Out Time For De-Stressing
Integrating stress-relieving habits into our daily routine and environment can help turn stress management into stress reduction. This practice can change how one sees stress and cultivates proactiveness toward stress reduction.
Instead of seeing it as a threat, someone trained in stress reduction can perceive it as a nudge for change. It is also essential to know the exact impact and desired effect of stress reduction activity. It must be deliberate and serve the person clearly and consistently.
Conclusion
Figuring things out does not need to be a solitary activity since setting up the ideal environment for fostering health stress reduction skills can be tricky. With guidance and consultation from a life coach or therapist, it is possible to create a less stressful environment for oneself.
Therapy 24×7 provides enhanced coping strategies, life coaching, and results-based cognitive-behavioral therapy for stress management. We are in Brooklyn, NY, but our services are available online—schedule your consultation today!