Stress Reduction Techniques – Easy Things You Can Do

Implementing stress reduction techniques are critical to our happiness and creating a peaceful and enjoyable lifestyle in this stressful hi-tech, demanding world we live in.  There are many ways to combat stress, some of which we have highlighted to help guide you to a state where you can get past the limiting, destructive forces of stress and anxiety.

Take Action on Stress:

• Ask yourself “Am I stressed, or am I in denial?”
• Make a mindful decision to act upon your situation
• Knowing an unpleasant situation is going to change, will immediately make you feel better
• Stress reduction techniques allow the body to regenerate balance in your cells, body, and mind

Learn to Use Your Body’s Feedback:

• Think of a secret experience or place that you can visualize, whenever you wish to relax.
• Find a vision that will allow you to shed all stress from your body
• Generate positive thoughts in your mind
• Initiate a physical action such as deep breathing that brings you peace and calm.

Make Exercise Fun:

• Don’t overlook the emotional and psychological benefits of regular exercise.
• Giving yourself a break to do something enjoyable will make you feel great.
• If you’re unsure whether to work out or not, just remind yourself of how you will feel, after your exercise routine.

Deep Breathing:

• Practice deep breathing to re-energize and rejuvenate your mind and body.
• These simple stress-reduction techniques release hormones which influence your mood and produce an extra relaxed and favorable mindset while releasing physical tension from the muscles.

Begin the Day Prepared

• Prepare for the coming day, the evening before
• Start the day early in an unhurried organized way
• Start the day with confidence and stick to your agenda

Take a Step Back

• Walk away from stressful situations, and find a peaceful place, to sit and take stock of the situation.
• Do a deep breathing routine and envision yourself far away from the stress, in a special place
• You may choose a deserted beach or a forest trail, whatever is serenity to you.

Modify Your Own Issues

• Change those stressful variables, which you can
• Strengthen your ability to deal with the issues you can not transform
• Be innovative, find concessions, examine and reframe problems to create win-win outcomes

Adopt An Exercise Routine

• Physical workout enhances both the physical and mental health
• It will make you feel much better about yourself
• Feeling healthy generates increased self-confidence and self-image
• When self-confidence and esteem are raised we feel far more positive about ourselves

Hypnosis and Guided Meditation

• Guided Meditation utilizes the same induction methods as hypnosis
• In fact, many of our life experiences are done in trance-like states that we put ourselves in throughout the day.
• Daydreaming, becoming engrossed in a movie or book, driving a car and not remembering where or how you got to where you are … all of these are examples of hypnotic trance.
• Hypnotherapy or guided meditation are excellent ways to obtain release from tension and stress.
• These are perfectly natural stress reduction techniques, without using chemicals or drugs of any kind
• Your body already contains the natural hormones and chemicals which it needs to create calm
• Your body is flooded with a pure, cleansing and relaxing state of calm, peace and joy

Have a Positive Outlook

• Expect things to go right
• Expect individuals to be great
• You will likely discover that’s exactly what takes place!

Place Emphasis on Quality

• Focus on your tasks and do them well
• Concentrate on the work at hand
• Forget whatever else you have to do.

Do Not Depend on Your Memory

• Record visits
• Create to-do lists
• Write down instructions
• Produce order from mayhem

Tension Affects the Whole Person

• Body
• Mind
• Feelings
• Habits

All aspects of our lives are impacted by stress and tension.

Simple, repetitive activities can alleviate these feelings and generate overall calm and peacefulness.

Seek Professional Assistance

• A professional hypnotherapist can provide specific services focused on your personal stress-triggers, often they are not what you think, but the result of a learned “truth” from childhood
• Hypnosis is by far the most effective stress reduction technique
• Hypnotherapy has been proven, in controlled studies, to be more effective than medications and other counseling services
• Past events can influence your current thinking and cause uncontrolled anxiety and tension in our day to day lives
• Hypnotherapy can eliminate those influences and replace them with positive feelings
• Most professional hypnotherapists will offer you an opportunity to learn self-hypnosis, so you can reinforce and strengthen your resolve

Do Something Exciting

• Get away from it all, even if it’s just for one day
• Go to a concert or event that you will enjoy
• Take regular weekend breaks where you can leave your work behind
• Force yourself to book a vacation annually
• Engage in activities away from computer and mobile phones, to recharge your own batteries
• Local day trips can be very therapeutic, you do not have to travel around the world to exotic destinations

Write it Down.

• Do a “brain dump” in writing, about your feelings and issues
• Don’t worry about format, grammar or structure just get your thoughts on paper without filtering or overthinking them (or computer)
• Ask yourself WHY you feel or react or see things that way
• Keep asking WHY, until you discover the root issue or problem
• Begin to look at your true thoughts, feelings, and sensations objectively
• Look at these problems, without emotion, and identify what needs to change
• Create a master plan, timeline, and goals
• Put them into action and settle all of your issues

Speak With Someone You Can Trust

• Talking it over with a friend, spouse or partner who is willing to listen, can help to de-clutter the mind and allow you to clarify your feelings
• Talking about an issue will allow you to see it more objectively, and help you to plan suitable action to soothe tension
• If you don’t have anyone you can trust completely, create a recording of yourself on your mobile phone while out walking or sitting at the beach or park
• Play it back and analyze your comments objectively
• Listen to it more than once to ensure you do not miss any subtle comments which might be a clue to the root issue

Discover How to be Forgiving

• Most people are functioning at the most effective level they can
• Discover a way to be forgiving and understanding
• People make mistakes, and like you, need understanding and acceptance of their imperfections
• Forgiveness will generate good feelings within you as you release that negative influence from your mind

Quit Procrastinating

• Remove procrastination from your life
• It is a significant contributor to stress
• Do not put tasks off until tomorrow
• Do things today
• Adopt a”DO IT NOW” attitude

Learn to Say “NO”

• Change your dynamics
• Enable yourself to express your feelings
• Act the way you want to
• Learn to be assertive in difficult situations
• Imagine how liberating that will make you feel

Manage Your Time – Be Organized

• Plan and record your time
• Plan and arrange your life
• Offer yourself more space and opportunity
• Take time to Prepare
• Trust the process
• Establish an agenda
• Don’t waste time stressing about things over which you have no control

Don’t be Late

• Give yourself more time to do tasks
• Do not put yourself in a situation where you are pressed to perform
• Wake up a little earlier
• Leave a little earlier for appointments
• Never leave tasks to the last moment.

Break tasks into smaller pieces.

• Separate tasks into smaller pieces
• Determine exactly what is causing trouble
• Separate problems causing you stress and anxiety into smaller more manageable components

Permit Yourself Some Personal Time

Each day, ensure you set aside an exclusive time for YOU to experience tranquility, quiet as well as contemplation.

• Guided Meditation – recorded or live sessions with a professional will create an amazing state of relaxation
• Visualization – the imagination is a calming and peaceful refuge
• Meditation – generate tranquility in your life from within
• Muscle Relaxation – generate deep relaxation, loosening up those muscles
• Massage therapy – muscle relaxation through physical massage by a professional, friend or life partner
• Aromatherapy – pamper yourself with the aromas of essential oils
• Positive Affirmations – repeat phrases regularly, multiple times a day, to embed positive affirmations in your mind
• Yoga – participate in a blend of reflection as well as gentle activity and stretching
• Shiatsu – harmonizing as well as deeply relaxing
• Hot Water – enjoy a hot shower or take a bath, relax and let your mind wander
• Daydream – allow your mind to imagine and dream, accessing the subconscious, enjoying the peace and serenity
• Romance or Intimacy – enjoy a close intimate moment, before going to sleep, even a hug or prayer will help
• Eat Healthily – take time to eat healthy foods and enjoy your meals
• Digest Properly – consuming food gradually to promote digestion, and rest after your meal
• Sufficient Sleep – make sure you get enough sleep.
• Awaken Refreshed – proper sleep should result in waking with energy to function throughout the day
• Reduce Caffeine – cut down on the amount of coffee and tea consumed during the day
• Eat Breakfast – a morning meal to kick-start your day is essential
• Nourishment – good nourishment will improve your resistance to illness and reduce tension
• Live in the Moment- take pleasure in the events that occur throughout your day
• Laugh – find something that makes you grin or laugh out loud
• Laughter – a great stress-buster because it’s hard to be distressed while you’re having a good time!

Do your study, and try some of these stress reduction techniques … find the activity/therapy which is ideal for you.

Keep in mind,

Enjoy life to its fullest, take time EVERY DAY to do something that YOU take pleasure in!