Stress Management Exercises
Are you feeling stressed? These stress management exercises include relaxation techniques, time management, and other effective ways to deal with stress.
Stress is a very common experience. All of us, every day, experience stress. A variety of stress management exercises are available to help relieve stress and promote optimal levels of brain arousal.
When stress becomes too great, it begins to take a toll mentally, physically, and emotionally.
Check out this stress management video from www.christian-life-coaching.org, featuring me (Candi Raudebaugh), and James Thomas from www.christian-life-coaching.org:
How to Cope with Stress using Effective Stress Management Exercises
- Healthy Coping With Stress When finding strategies for coping with stress and anxiety, it is important to remember that various coping mechanisms, including relaxation, can be helpful when used correctly. BUT, over-using any one method for coping with stress can become harmful over time. Learn to build coping skills that stand the test of time.
- Decrease stress at its source. If relationships are causing stress, working on setting boundaries or on becoming more assertive may be helpful. If too many demands on your time are causes of stress for you, it may be beneficial to work on setting priorities and limits, and cut back on things that you're able to let go for the time being. Some of the first stress management exercises you may want to try involve dealing directly with the sources of your stress.
- Physical activity.
Yes, exercise. The reason? Physical activity helps to use up the excess
energy produced by the stress response. In fight-or-flight mode, the
body is ready for intense physical activity. By exercising, the stress
response runs its course, and the
body returns to a physiological normal.
- Creativity. Hobbies and creative outlets can be excellent stress relievers. Try out the creative expression relaxation download to experience creativity as an example of one of the many possible creative stress management exercises you can use.
- Take care of yourself. Treating yourself well is a good way to cope with stress. If you have good physical and emotional reserves, you are better prepared to handle stress that comes your way. Do things you enjoy, treat yourself, talk kindly to yourself.... in other words, treat yourself like a friend.
One way to take care of yourself is with massage. Visit this comprehensive resource about massage therapy and massage benefits for health. Here you can learn to massage, self massage, sensual massage for better relationships, and learn how stress affects the body. This site includes an online spa finder, spa gift certificates and vouchers and online shopping.
- Time management. Managing your time effectively can significantly decrease stress. Avoid the trap of over-scheduling by prioritizing tasks and putting free time into your schedule.
- Decrease procrastination. Procrastination can add to your stress - when things are put off, you are always working under pressure, which is stressful! Using a schedule and rewarding yourself are ways to prevent procrastination.
- Sleep. Make sure you are getting enough sleep. Even a few hours of missed sleep affects your memory and concentration significantly.
- Reward yourself. Plan to treat yourself after completing a task. Rewards do not have to be extravagant. A reward can be a simple, small treat like watching a movie, taking a warm bath, playing a game, or listening to music.
- And the NUMBER ONE STRATEGY for stress management is ... RELAXATION. Relaxation is helpful because it reverses the stress response.
Relaxation is a very effective way to calm your mind and relax your body. Relaxation techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation, visualization, and guided meditation are some of the best stress management exercises you can use. When you feel more relaxed you will be able to be more productive. Listening to guided relaxation often helpful for learning to relax - see the relaxation downloads page for free relaxation downloads to try guided relaxation.
Continue to...
Page 1 - Stress Management Exercises
Page 2 - Definition of Stress
Page 3 - Symptoms of Stress
Page 4 - Causes of Stress
Page 5 - Healthy Coping with Stress
More Questions About Stress on the Relaxation Advice Page
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