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How to Minimize Stress

Introduction

Stress is a common experience for many people. Millions of adults across the United States admit to feeling stressed or anxious daily. Many people are dealing with stressor issues in their day-to-day life. Some of the common causes of stress include health concerns, work, family issues, and financial obligations. Worth noting, factors such as personality type, genetic factors, coping stress, level of social support and coping style tend to influence people’s vulnerability to stress. Research points out that people of color, individuals in social work and health care professions, and individuals identifying as LGBTQIA+ tend to be more predisposed to high-stress levels than other people. This text highlights self-care, spending quality time with family, and managing responsibilities as ways to minimize stress.

Self care

The first strategy people can employ to reduce stress in their life is observing self care. At times, people get caught up in many responsibilities that they forget to cater to their personal needs. This is particularly the case for mothers who have major caregiving responsibilities. While prioritizing self care is difficult amidst many responsibilities, people should always take the time to care for themselves as it helps relieve stress. Self care can be as simple as taking a nap, getting a massage or keeping a journal. Additional self-care ideas include decluttering, putting on a face mask, opening the blinds, taking three deep breaths and full-body stretching. Going for a walk is also a form of self care as exercise is good for the body and mind. While a person might not always have the time to engage in intense workouts, a simple brisk walk is an excellent self-care technique (Christmann, Hoffmann, & Bleser, 2017). Deep conditioning hair is also a form of self care. One can deep condition their hair while in the tub and leave it there as one relaxes. Taking care of one’s feet is also another strategy for self care. One can do this by soaking their feet to soften the calloused skin. Afterwards, one can remove the dead skin using pumice and finish with foot cream and simple nail polish. This can go a long way in relieving stress in a person. People tend to handle more life stress when they are at their best, both emotionally and physically. A simple hot bath or massage or any other form of pampering tends to revitalize a person inside and out. In addition to improved emotional well being and physical well being, self care is important as it makes a person a better caregiver. People that neglect their needs are likely to display feelings such as low self-esteem, increased levels of unhappiness, and feelings of resentment.

Spending Quality Time with Family

Another technique people can use to relieve stress is spending quality time with family. We live in a fast-paced modern world that can be stressful for many people. Most people will agree that the best way to relieve stress is to go on vacation either alone or with a partner to spend quality time relaxing and get away from the busy cities. At one point, families tend to experience stress in one way or another and those who are prepared for such times tend to be much prepared to cope with the challenges. Spending quality time with family is essential for living a fulfilling and complete life. Family is not always necessarily blood relatives; it can be close friends, step-siblings or guardians. Simple activities such as cooking and eating meals as a family or even playing a sport provides unexpected advantages and boosts physical health. Physical games tend to boost strength development and endurance. They are both excellent techniques for improving mental strength and fitness. Doing work in a group or playing board games is a good way to relieve stress. Additionally, going outside and partaking in family activities such as gardening, watching theatre shows or movies and gardening goes a long way in helping people relieve stress. Face-to-face interactions as opposed to digital communication with family significantly curtail the occurrence of anxiety, depression, and other mental health illnesses (Kassymova, Kosherbayeva, Sangilbayev, & Schachl, 2018). Consulting with a qualified medical professional is highly advised because stress impacts the mind more than the body.

Managing Responsibilities

Managing responsibilities is also another viable strategy that people can use to manage stress in their life. When people manage their responsibilities well, they are likely to lead a more satisfying, healthier, happier and more productive life. Effective stress management helps break the stress that a person has on their life, enabling them to lead a more fulfilled life. When one manages their responsibilities well, they lead a balanced life. They have time for relationships, relaxation, fun, and work.

Conclusion

In closing, effective stress management has to do with self-care, managing responsibilities, and spending quality time with family. However, it is important to note that managing stress is not a one-size-fits-all. As such, it is important to experiment and combine strategies that work best for a person. Seeing that stress has an impact on emotional well-being, it is important to consult with a qualified medical professional for advice. Medical experts help people understand what triggers stress and how best they can manage their mental health.

Works Cited

Christmann, C. A., Hoffmann, A., & Bleser, G. (2017). Stress management apps with regard to emotion-focused coping and behavior change techniques: a content analysis. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 5(2), e6471.

Kassymova, K., Kosherbayeva, N., Sangilbayev, S., & Schachl, H. (2018). Stress management techniques for students. In International Conference on the Theory and Practice of Personality Formation in Modern Society (ICTPPFMS 2018) (pp. 47-56). Atlantis Press.