Stress is a natural reaction of your body on possible danger. Your body produces the hormones cortisol and adrenaline to get alert. Stressing can be healthy, but most people experience too much stress. No less than one on four people suffer from permanent stress (Bodyworlds, 2017). This negatively affects your health. In this article we explain how to deal with it in a healthy way.

What do we stress about?

Most people experience tension because of work problems. For example because of a high workload or not getting along with coworkers. Another problem is separating work life and private life, for instance by checking your email on holidays. Problems at work can also cause annoyance at home, almost half of the working population scream at their partner or kids because of work related problems (Happify, 2017).

How realistic is it?

Approximately 85% of the stuff we worry about never actually happens. 80% of the stuff that does happen, appears to be a lot less terrible than initially thought. In other words: it isn’t about what happens to us, it’s our response to what happens. Be conscious of your worries and put it into perspective. Will it still be important a year from now?

Worrying doesn’t take away tomorrows problems, it takes away today’s peace. 

Meditation

Meditation used to have a corny stigma, but that’s about to change. That’s a good thing, because meditation is a good way to calm down and reduce stress. Proper breathing helps you deal consciously with your stress. Try this exercise when you experience stress: sit in a comfortable position. Breathe in and out three times. Breathe in for 6 seconds through your  mouth, breath out for 6 seconds through your nose. Be aware of your surroundings: list four things you see, three things you feel, two things you hear and one thing you smell. Then breathe in and breath out another three times.

Coping with stress

Is meditation not your thing? That’s ok, there are other ways to reduce stress. For example exercising reduces the production of stress hormones and stimulates the production of hormones which make you feel happy. Laughing will also help, it releases tension in your body and reduces the reaction on stress. Are you at work and you want to reduce stress discretely? Listening to music will reduce stress too.

NiceDay: Do you suffer from stress? Then plan an activity in your Daily Planner and start exercising at a stressful moment. Then describe in your diary how you feel after exercise.