Here are some other things you can do for yourself:
Get enough sleep and rest. Take a daily nap. One at noon is best or if that isn’t possible get one right after work. Set up a ritual that gives you a regular hour of bedtime. Avoid sleeping pills as these often create dependency and may have side effects.
- Get regular vigorous exercise. Relaxed muscles mean relaxed nerves. Choose whatever exercise is realistic for your age and physical condition. Some examples include hiking, biking, walking, golf, tennis, home calisthenics, and swimming.
- Love more. Most people need to learn to love people and use things instead of loving things and using people.
- Don’t be afraid of compromise. In a stressful situation you can either fight, back off, or compromise. You don’t always have to choose to fight or feel defeated if you back off.
- Avoid coping solutions that involve alcohol or drugs. A little relaxation is fine, but drinking or using drugs each time you are faced with a problem soon leads to addiction.
- Identify your fears, even list them. Talk your problems over with yourself and others who will listen. Try to think of ways to cope with them. Seek information about the things you fear. Knowledge can bring runaway fears down to earth. Make a decision, right or wrong, and then act on it. Anxiety results when you sit in the middle and let your fears tug at you from opposite directions.
- Avoid disruption. Try to maintain a balance in the face of disruptive elements. Reestablish calm after unavoidable upsets by following comfortable pre-set routines.
- Laugh more. Laughter is a good tension breaker. Laugh at yourself so that you do not take yourself too seriously.
- Avoid self-pity. Self-pity is a poor response to situations and usually a waste of time and energy.
- Avoid loneliness. Reach out and take the initiative in finding friendship. Treat people as though they were already your friends. Seek out compatible people.
- Meditation, yoga, Tai Chi, biofeedback, and many other techniques have been used to alleviate stress. The following exercises are from the book, Triumph Over Tension and are designed to help counteract stresses in your life. They can be done easily and comfortably by anyone, and require no special equipment. Try to spend 20-30 minutes a day on a stress- management program and make it fit comfortably into your schedule. When you practice these exercises is not important. The fact that you practice stress management is very important. Try it, you’ll be amazed at how much better you feel.
Give me call for help in dealing with stress. There are many forms of practices that can help.
