Awhile back I shared with you 10 of my stress busters. But lately I’ve needed 20. So here are 10 more.
1. Avoid stimulants and sugar.
Here’s the catch-22: the more stressed you get, the more you crave coffee and doughnuts, pizza and Coke. But the …
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Thank you, I learned about my own terrible stress & anxiety related coffee habit. Going to work on that! Do practice appreciation to replace fear, can say in can cause a 180 in my day.
I LOVE your suggestions! I’m trying to pick a favorite — I think it would have to be to learn to say no. Several years ago, the VP of our grade school PTO had to resign. Her husband had lost his job and she went and got a retail sales job, full-time, to keep food on the table and the family in health benefits. Something had to give, and the PTO was it, at least her leadership position in it. We all admired her a whole lot for just saying, “I can’t do this.” I must say I haven’t avoided coffee, though… I am feeling a lot of anxiety these days, for a variety of reasons. I recently picked up a great book on dealing with stress called “No Open Wounds.” It takes a non-invasive, non-drug approach — and while it’s geared to traumatic stress (which thank God i do NOT have), you can also use the techniques/treatments to health yourself for phobias and anxieties, etc.
And now, should I have another cup of coffee? You’re making me feel like I might need to resist!
I get stressed out & overwhelmed easily. I don’t know if it is a byproduct of having bipolar 1 disorder w/major anxiety (that I am learning to “treat” w/mindfulness techniques & coping skills learned in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy) or just my personality or what, but learning to say “No” is of major importance to me.
I even have to look at activities that are supposed to be fun like going out to lunch w/a friend w/a close eye as that can disrupt my routine or overcrowd an already busy day & make me feel time-pressured & then I get overwhelmed & honestly, the lunch ceases to be fun & is just another obligation that seems like a burden.
I also sometimes have to go into what I call my “survival mode” on days when I get paralyzed by the feelings of being overwhelmed & then the acute anxiety sets in. I stop & look around & think, “What is ESSENTIAL for actually SURVIVING today?”
Usually, the basics are only a couple things. Then I can add on the few things that I really want to accomplish to help me feel more settled–like get the kitchen counter cleared off or the laundry done & dinner prepared or take a shower. Seeing a cluttered kitchen counter or undone tasks does add to the feelings of anxiety & “unsettledness.”
I concentrate on just doing one thing at a time as multi-tasking makes me feel more frazzled. As I complete each task, I reward myself w/a soothing “reward” like knitting for 15 min.–a repetitive process like knitting is very helpful in slowing down my racing thoughts.
I just cannot be a go-go-go person for some reason or I just shut down & am not productive at all.
Hi,
Great site!!!!! Good health is very important with the high cost of medical coverage. We need to have a healther lifestyle by taking care of our health eating and exercising. I am a cancer survivor and I know. Our health is our greatest asset. Keep up the Good Work!!!!!
Great suggestions. I’ve been going on “no coffee” for about three weeks now and although it’s all I want in the morning I find that it helps detour addtional stress. I also have been forcing myself to spend twenty minutes exercising a day (I hate going to the gym!) and that has made a world of difference. Probably the biggest difference.
I made a course about stress management at work: http://www.learningzen.com/Study/CoursePreview.aspx?CourseID=264. Check it out!