Posts Tagged ‘coping with stress’

How to Cope with Stress in School

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Posted 11 Apr 2012 — by admin
Category Keeping Healthy

Being a student is difficult because it is the phase when people are in their teens and are trying to establish their adulthood and their place among peers. Stress is high and not being able to manage it could sometimes have its dire effects. Stress management is crucial in staying happy and healthy.

If you are a student, knowing how to cope in class therefore is vital for your success, peace and happiness. Here are pointers you may want to adapt to cope with stress in school.

Be yourself

It is stressful to try to be the person others want you to be, unless you have a sincere desire to be that person. If you are comfortable with yourself, then there is no need to change who you are just because your friends tell you so. Of course if it is for the better then you should grab that opportunity to grow and develop. Perceive it in a positive manner. Look at the process as a challenge so you would enjoy the process than being stressed about it.

Don’t worry too much

Worry only for those events or things you can change. Worrying about things you don’t have any control of is frustrating and stressful.  As long as you’ve done your best, accept whatever consequences that come. Stop worrying and observe how you will be relieved from lots of stress. Believing in God or someone more powerful than you are, who could take care of everything, would relieve your stress tremendously.

Belong to a group

Belonging to a group would help you overcome stress.  This is one of the great ways on how to cope with stress in school. This group can be a church group, a writing club, a dancing club or any worthwhile group you could join and learn from.

Acquire a hobby

Acquire a hobby that would help you de-stress like swimming, dancing, horseback riding, reading or any sport that you are interested in.

These are simple but effective methods that usually work with most students.

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Stress management: How to Cope with Stress in the Workplace

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Posted 07 Apr 2012 — by admin
Category Keeping Healthy, Workplace health practices

Coping with stress in the workplace may be difficult if the stressful activities happen simultaneously. Understanding, however, that stress is part of normal daily activities would help you cope with it. You should also be aware that the mind plays a crucial role in coping with stress.

There are numerous causes of stress. Some of them are the following:

  • Upcoming reports where you may be a presenter
  • A meeting where you are assigned to speak
  • A new boss
  • A new partner
  • A new assignment
  • A demotion
  • A promotion

These are only some of the reasons why you can be stressed out at work. You should know how to pinpoint your sources of stress. You can determine these by the following indications:

  • When you think about the activity, your pulses quicken and your heart beats faster
  • You hyperventilate
  • Your muscles are tense
  • You have butterflies in your stomach
  • You can’t keep still or the opposite- you freeze
  • You sweat profusely

These are some signs that you are stressed out about that particular event.

Being stressed out starts with your mind, your thoughts. This indicates that these symptoms were brought about by merely thinking about the activity.

This means your thoughts can cause you stress. For you to cope with stress in the workplace, you have to know how to control or manage your thoughts.

The hypothalamus is the center of the central nervous system and it allows you to feel. It responds to your feelings and needs. If it does not acknowledge the stimuli, then nothing happens. It is crucial that you understand this, so you could deal with the sources of stress in your workplace.

You could cope with stress by re-directing your thoughts positively, and by being an optimist. You should realize first, that these feelings of stress are natural and human, but you should learn how to manage them. Hence, to successfully cope with stress, you have to change the way you think.

Here are pointers on how to manage your stress

Perform breathing exercises

When you start becoming stressed out with the thought, breathe deeply for several minutes. Inhale deeply through your nose, hold it for ten seconds and then exhale forcefully through your mouth. Do this at least ten times until your breathing becomes even.

Perceive the activity as something positive

While doing this, look for something positive in the activity. Let’s say it’s a report you’ll have to do before your colleagues; think of the activity as a means of sharing what you know.  It could also be one method of helping out your colleagues, and of bonding with them.

Believe in yourself

Have faith in yourself.  Top management is asking you to present because they believe in you, and you should believe in yourself too. Oftentimes the worst enemy you can have is yourself. Don’t let that happen to you.  Imagine yourself presenting the report calmly and successfully. Keep that image in mind as you breathe deeply.

Do minimal exercises before the activity

You can do arm stretching exercises, or simply exercise by opening and closing your fist while doing your breathing exercises. This would channel your energy into something physical, and would also get your mind off your anxiety and stress.

Methods of successful stress management vary from one person to another. What’s important is to remember that coping with stress in the workplace should start from the way you think. Convert your thoughts into positive ones and you’ll notice that you’d be a happier person; less stressed out and relaxed than before.

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Meditation Methods to Cope With Stress

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Posted 31 Jan 2012 — by admin
Category Alternative Medicine, Keeping Healthy

By: Evelyn B. Trinidad

Meditation is a by word in the health profession but most people do not give attention to stress or want to cope with stress. This is simply because they do not know the effects of stress on their health and even if they do, how to cope with stress is foreign to them.  In a study conducted, 60-90% of the reasons why people visit the doctors are stress related.

The study further revealed that stress is related to immune system weakness, skin disorders, cancer, heart attacks, diabetes, insomnia, chronic pain, asthma. It has something to do with headache, backache and depression that may lead to accidents and suicide. It also decreases the number and function of white blood cells. It has been pronounced that meditation is one way to cope with stress.

Deep Breathing or body-scan meditation

Deep breathing meditation is a very good method to cope with stress. It’s an uncomplicated method that requires little effort. It’s done by sitting upright with eyes closed. Then you inhale deeply then exhale. Focus on your breathing. Then shift your attention to your toes and how it feels against the floor.  Stay with that feeling for a while then move to your legs. Do the same with the other parts of your body until your head.

Mantra or focused or transcendental meditation

The primary consideration here is clearing your mind and focusing on an object, mantra or a single thought. A soft music can be helpful during the meditation. Let your attention focus on your body, you will feel where the tension is and let it relax. Begin to say a word.  Doing this helps you cope with stress and you will feel re energized afterwards.

Metta meditation

Is an excellent way to cope with stress. Many negative thoughts about yourself and about others are all that are occupying your mind and these could stress you. Clear your thoughts of negative ones and think positively. Sit upright comfortably and remember a time when you were loved, how you felt about it and stay with the feeling for 15 minutes. In doing so, you are changing the negative thoughts with positive ones.

Mindfulness or depression meditation

This type of meditation helps you to cope with stress or depression as your mind is allowed to wander and not focusing on one thing. This is also the most common technique. It is done by sitting down in one place and watch people come and go. You just watch. The point is, your mind has a lot in it, and just let the thoughts come and go. Don’t dwell on them. The more you are exposed to negative thoughts the lesser the effect it will have on you.

Movement or walking meditation

Sit and close your eyes then rotate your head, the movement relieves and helps you cope with stress. You can also run, walk, and pace while meditating. As you run focus your attention on your movements especially as your feet touches the ground and you can feel the release of tension there. Continue focusing on your feet as you keep experiencing the feeling of your feet hitting the ground.

Empty mind meditation

As the term connotes mean, this is a meditation technique that makes you discard all thoughts from your mind or keep your mind blank let it rest. Find a quiet place where you can relax. Sit down with your legs crossed and start to remove all thoughts from your mind. Stay that way for 15 minutes. You will feel refreshed afterwards.

Visualization meditation

Imagine a peaceful scene with you in it using your mind. If the scene you imagined is the ocean, then you smell, see it through your mind, touch it and listen to the sound of the ocean and feel the breeze of the sea on your skin. Enjoy the moment as you savor the beauty and serenity of the place. This will relax your mind and help you to cope with stress

Meditation techniques have been used for centuries now to help people cope with stress and to promote a healthy body and mind. It has evolved from the simple to the more complex methods as combinations and new techniques were discovered.  Even if there are numerous methods, it does not mean you have to use them all simultaneously. You can use two or just one depending on your needs.

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Coping with Stress through Natural Means

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Posted 23 Oct 2011 — by admin
Category Alternative Medicine, Home Remedies, Keeping Healthy

Coping with stress using natural methods is quite easy if people become aware of it. Here are ways you can cope with stress.

1. Exercise

Exercising would help release those harmful substances accumulating in your system. When you sweat it out, unwanted substances are excreted through your sweat, urine, stool and breath.

2. Do breathing exercises

“Breath in and breathe out” exercises are excellent to relieve stress. Inhale with all your force using your nose and then exhale forcefully using your mouth and nose simultaneously. You could also take this opportunity to meditate.

3. Be an optimist

This is the most important thing to manage stress. When you look at things positively, the less stressed out you will be. This is because you spend your time worrying about unnecessary things.

Have a positive outlook in life, exercise and meditate. These three would definitely reduce your stress and allow you to enjoy life as you should. Coping with stress is a doable goal.

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Common Sources of Stress

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Posted 13 Mar 2011 — by admin
Category Diseases and Conditions, Keeping Healthy

The world you live in has continuous demands that have to be met. Whether you are working or you are still in school, oftentimes people have the same common sources of stress. The stressors come in different ways. Although stress may be good, too much of it can also be a bad sign, because you might not be able to manage all of them. Thus, it is recommended that you learn to cope with most of them. The best way to reduce the stress in your life is to be aware of their common sources.

Interpersonal Relationships

Maintaining a good interpersonal relationship with the significant people around you entails effort and time. The key in keeping the harmony with your family and friends is an open line of communication. Generally, simple misunderstandings can lead to big arguments if you do not communicate well. Misunderstandings are common sources of stress.

Life Adjustment

If your body is accustomed to your daily routine, changing your regular schedule can cause significant stress in your life. If you have been used in working, enjoying financial abundance, and physical wellness, a sudden change in these situations can put pressure to you. Loss of employment, economic crisis and illness require life adjustment. If you are not ready for these sources of stress and you lose support from your family, you might end up feeling depressed.

Because changes are constant in life, you need to be ready for these common sources of stress. The best way to prepare for these adverse situations is by keeping an intact interpersonal relationship with others and knowing when to say no.

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