Reduce stress and anxiety: Simple techniques to improve mental health

2024-06-13

<h1>Reduce stress and anxiety Simple techniques to improve mental health</h1><p><br></p><p>In the hustle and bustle of modern life, stress and anxiety have become familiar companions for many of us, and if you're living with high levels of stress, you're putting your entire health at risk. Stress destroys your emotional balance, as well as your overall physical and mental health; it narrows your ability to think clearly, work effectively, and enjoy life, and it may seem like there's nothing you can do about it; your monthly bills won't stop coming in, your day won't get longer, and your responsibilities will continue to increase day by day!</p><p>However, amidst this chaos, there is a treasure trove of simple techniques that can help you reduce stress and anxiety, and improve your mental health, by breaking the pressure that puts stress on your life, so you can be happier, healthier, and more productive. But stress management is not one-size-fits-all, which is why it's important to experiment and find out what works best for you.</p><h2>Tips to reduce stress and anxiety and improve mental health</h2><p>The quickest way to reduce stress is to take a deep breath and feel with all your senses, techniques such as looking at a favorite picture, smelling a certain scent, listening to a favorite piece of music, talking to a friend, or hugging a pet may work. While these quick techniques can provide immediate relief, it's important to realize that reducing and managing stress should be a lifestyle.<strong> Here are the following tips and strategies:</strong></p><h3>1- Identify the sources of stress in your life</h3><p>Stress management starts with identifying the sources of stress in your life. While it's easy to identify major stressors such as changing jobs, relocating, or going through a divorce, identifying the sources of chronic stress can be more complicated; it's very easy to overlook how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors affect your daily stress levels.</p><p>Keeping a stress diary can help you identify the typical stressors in your life and how you deal with them. Every time you feel stressed, write it down in your journal or use a stress-tracking app on your phone. Keeping a daily stress log will enable you to see patterns and common themes. Write it down:</p><ul><li>What caused your stress.</li><li>How you felt, physically and emotionally.</li><li>How you acted in response.</li><li>What did you do to make yourself feel better.</li></ul><h3>2- Avoid unhealthy ways of dealing with stress</h3><p>Many of us feel so stressed out that we resort to unhealthy and unproductive ways of dealing with it. Many of these unhelpful strategies can temporarily reduce stress, but cause more damage and stress in the long run:</p><ul><li>Smoking, drinking alcohol, or using drugs to relax.</li><li>Overeating junk food or unhealthy foods.</li><li>Sitting for hours in front of the TV or phone.</li><li>Social withdrawal and not socializing with friends and family or participating in social activities.</li><li>Sleeping more hours than necessary.</li><li>Procrastination and procrastination.</li><li>Exerting psychological pressure on others (attacks, tantrums, physical violence).</li></ul><h3>3- Avoid unnecessary stress</h3><p>It's not healthy to avoid stressful situations that need to be addressed, but you might be surprised at how many stressors in your life you can eliminate.</p><ul><li>Be more assertive and learn to say “no” to things you can't or don't want to do.</li><li>Minimize the amount of time you spend with people who are constantly causing you stress or end the relationship.</li><li>Minimize exposure to stressful situations, such as watching the news, talking politics, or traveling on busy streets.</li><li>Prioritize and complete important and urgent tasks and then move on to less important ones, don't forget to break tasks down into small steps, and delegate tasks if others can do them.</li><li>Organize your time and avoid procrastinating, procrastinating, or even scheduling too many tasks in one day.</li></ul><h3>4- Try to change the way you deal with the upsetting situation</h3><p>If you can't avoid an unpleasant situation, try to change the way you deal with it, <strong>for example:</strong></p><ul><li>Express your feelings in a polite way instead of suppressing them, if something or someone is bothering you, otherwise, resentment will build up and tension will increase.</li><li>When you ask someone to change their behavior, be willing to do the same to reach a mutually satisfactory solution.</li><li>Try to find a balance between work and family life, social and personal activities, daily responsibilities, and taking breaks from work.</li></ul><h3>5- Adapt to stressors</h3><p>You can adapt to stressful situations by changing your expectations and reactions:</p><ul><li>Think positively, instead of getting angry about traffic, see it as an opportunity to pause and take a break from driving, listen to your favorite radio station, or enjoy some alone time. Or when faced with big challenges, try to see them as opportunities to grow and learn from mistakes.</li><li>Ask yourself how important the situation is to your health or long-term goals, will it be important in a month? A year? Is it really worth getting upset about? If it's not, it's not worth investing extra time and energy in thinking about it, but rather focus your energy on something more important.</li><li>Set reasonable standards for yourself and others, accept the fact that we live in an imperfect world and that everyone makes mistakes, and be content with the good results.</li><li>Practice gratitude, and think about all the things you appreciate in your life, including your positive qualities and talents.</li><li>Volunteer or find another way to be active in your community.</li></ul><h3>6- Accept the things you can't change</h3><p>Some sources of stress are unavoidable, such as death or certain illnesses, or unchangeable, such as the behavior of others. In such cases, the best way to deal with stress is to accept things as they are and focus on how to deal with them.</p><h3>7- Reach out to friends</h3><p>Make it a habit to communicate regularly with family and friends, share your feelings with them, learn from their experiences and listen to their perspectives, and even if they can't solve your issues, their empathy and understanding can help relieve stress and bring you happiness.</p><h3>8- Make time for fun and relaxation</h3><p>Don't get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that you forget to take care of your own needs; taking care of yourself is a necessity, not a luxury, to enable you to deal with the various stresses of life, take enough rest, do something you enjoy like walking, stargazing, or learning a new language and skill, keep your sense of humor, and practice relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation, and deep breathing.</p><h3>9- Move and energize your body</h3><p>All physical activity and exercise, no matter how simple and small, can significantly reduce stress and tension, as it releases endorphins that make you feel happy. Start gradually and aim to exercise regularly for 30 minutes or more per day. <strong>Here are some easy ways to incorporate exercise into your daily routine:</strong></p><ul><li>Walk or bike to the grocery store.</li><li>Take the stairs instead of the elevator.</li><li>Park your car farther away from your final destination and walk the rest of the way.</li><li>Agree with a friend to exercise as a means of encouragement.</li></ul><h3>10- Maintain a healthy lifestyle</h3><p>In addition to regular exercise, there are other healthy lifestyle choices that can increase your resistance and ability to cope with stress:</p><ul><li><strong>Eat a healthy diet:</strong> Start your day with breakfast, and keep your energy and mind clear with balanced and nutritious meals throughout the day.</li><li><strong>Limit caffeine and sugar:</strong> Including coffee, sodas, chocolates, and sugary snacks, as they cause a temporary mood boost, but then backfire, depriving you of rest and quality sleep.</li><li><strong>Get enough sleep:</strong> Adequate sleep nourishes your mind and body, and on the contrary, feeling tired will increase your stress because it can make you think irrationally.</li><li><strong>See your doctor for regular check-ups:</strong> Regular doctor check-ups are essential not only for maintaining physical health but also for managing stress levels, as some medical conditions themselves can directly cause stress.</li></ul><h2>Talk to a licensed psychologist</h2><p>If anxiety and stress are affecting your life and hindering your daily productivity for too long, seek professional help. iHospital is a medical network of expert doctors from various medical specialties. <a href="https://www.ihospitalapp.com/ar/search/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B7%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D9%81%D8%B3%D9%8A/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%B1%D8%AF%D9%86/%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86">Book your appointment today</a> with licensed and certified psychotherapists who can help you deal with stress and anxiety in a healthy way, treat depression and other psychological challenges, and more.</p><hr><h2>References</h2><ol><li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/publications/how-manage-and-reduce-stress">How to manage and reduce stress</a>, Mental Health Foundation</li><li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/stress-management.htm">Stress Management: How to Reduce and Relieve Stress</a>, HelpGuide.org</li><li aria-level="1"><a href="https://adaa.org/tips">Tips and Strategies to Manage Anxiety and Stress</a>, ADAA</li><li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-relievers/art-20047257">Stress relievers: Tips to tame stress</a>, Mayo Clinic</li></ol>