Stress Reduction Techniques

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There are many stress reduction techniques to try. Firstly, however, you need to identify the signs that you are experiencing stress. Do you bite your nails or cuticles?

Do you smoke more? Do you eat more than usual? Do you feel constantly annoyed? Do you get stomach aches? The first thing to do is acknowledge the stress is there. Stress is not inherently bad...it's just the body's way of reacting to threats. Start by acknowledging how you feel without making it wrong or trying to change it - it just is.

Now, mentally step outside of yourself, so you can see what is happening from the outside. You can do this by imagining you can see yourself on film. This will give you a different perspective and help you to change your reaction. When we are stressed or involved in an unpleasant situation, stress puts you in a mental state that makes it hard to deal with what is causing it.

When you take an outside perspective on your situation, you can consider:

• What can I do?
• What does the situation mean?
• What are the consequences?
• Do I need to make a plan?
• What resources do I have to deal with it?

Stress Reduction Techniques for Muscles

Muscle tension plays a big role in stress and our moods. It is impossible to be angry, frightened or worried without tensing your muscles. Try it - think of something that makes you angry, frightened or worried without tensing any extra muscles. Your body and mind are tied, therefore doing something to change your posture or breathing can affect your thinking. Because feelings narrow our focus, simply looking up and outwards can help. Exercise can also change your state of mind, by relaxing your posture and muscles. Find out what sort of exercise suits your personality on the exercise reduces stress page.

Breath

Every emotion has its own rate of breathing. Exercise and movement also affect your breathing. Laughter is a great way to change your breathing and dispel negative emotions. One of the widely promoted stress reduction techniques is deep breathing. Deep breaths in, combined with slow breaths out, are great for dissolving anxiety. Take twice as long to breath in and out as you normally would.

Be nice to yourself

We are usually quick to set "shoulds" and high standards against which we judge ourselves. We are often far harder on ourselves than we would be on anybody else...in fact, if we saw someone treating another person the way we treat ourselves, we would regard it as cruel. Try to spend a few minutes each day just observing your thoughts without judgement. Don't make your thoughts wrong or try to change them - just notice what they are, how they change into one another and accept that they are there. This can help you to see your own thought processes and detach from them. Don't evaluate or strive or correct - just observe, for say, ten minutes. You can experience relief just from dropping the guilt. Try this every day for a couple of weeks - you will notice a big difference in your stress levels.

Source: Joseph O'Connor, 2008