Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Learn To Relax ... Chillax!

Stress
is possibly one of the biggest enemies of modern life. And the recent case of a
Gurgaon based man being run over by a car only highlights the stressful times we
live in. The most helpful method of dealing with stress is learning how to
manage stress that comes along with certain situations. Learn how to ‘de-stress’
when things are relatively calm can help see you through many trying times. If
you want to build your resilience, work on developing these behavioural habits:




VISUALISATION




Soothe strained nerves by taking an imaginary trip to an ideal
place. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and for the next ten minutes,
imagine yourself in any place you wish to be! This method can be used anytime
and anywhere you need to relax. And the best part is that it only takes a few
minutes.




SIMPLIFY




Learn not to overburden yourself. Simplify. Delegate jobs. Put your
best foot forward whenever you undertake a task, but ask yourself about whether
it really is that important before getting into it. And it’s sometimes
beneficial to ignore others’ criticisms, as they only add to your stress levels.




PLAN




Planning your day can help you feel more in control of your life,
and this can ease your stress. Write a to-do list, placing the most important
tasks at the top. Prioritising will


ensure you spend your time
and energy on those that are


truly important to you.
Schedule your daily activities to minimise conflicts and last-minute rushes.




POSITIVE
SELF-TALK



Self-talk is the stream of thoughts that run through your
head every day. These are automatic self-thoughts, which can be positive or
negative. It’s draining and unhealthy to have negative thoughts running through
your head most of the time. If your thoughts are mostly positive, you’re likely
to have a more optimistic outlook on situations and hence, lower stress levels.




A
HEALTHY DIET



People tend to skip meals during stressful situations.
Try to avoid this if at all possible. Feeding your body the right foods is
essential for managing stress.




ENVIRONMENT




Create environments that reduce stress. Colours of the walls, floor
coverings, and furniture all play a part in stress reduction. Cooling hues
create a sense of wellbeing.




ACCEPTANCE




Accept what cannot be changed. We can accept what we cannot change
by changing what



can. Make choices that are realistic.




Avoid
these fears



Additionally, learning not to get bogged down by these
irrational fears will also help you lower your stress levels



FILTERING: You had a
great day at work and have completed your tasks ahead of the deadline, but you
made a minor mistake at some point during the day. That evening, your focus will
be only on your mistakes. Avoid doing this.



PERSONALISING: When
something bad happens, you automatically blame yourself. For example, you hear
that an evening out with friends is cancelled and you assume that the change in
plans is because no one wanted to be around you.



CATASTROPHISING:
This happens when you always anticipate the worst.You refuse to go out with
people for fear that you’ll make a fool of yourself. Or one change in your daily
routine leads you to think the day will be a disaster. This can be very
stressful.



POLARISING: You see things only as either good or bad, or
black and white. You feel that you have to be perfect or you’re a total failure.
This attitude impedes your adjustment levels and so, only increases stress
levels











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