How to Deal with Stress

When you know how to deal with stress and incorporate stress relief strategies into your everyday lifestyle, you odds of living a healthier, happier life increase greatly.

Experiencing short bursts of stress is a normal and important response to threatening situations. It has helped people survive predators and other threatening situations down through the ages.

The problem is not that you are dealing with stress or anxiety on an occasional basis.

It is highly unlikely, and possibly even undesirable, to live life totally free of stress. A little bit of stress can be motivating. It propels you to get things done. When you are in danger, it can be life-saving.

The problem is that many of us live in a state of chronic mental dis-stress. We get too busy and have trouble keeping up. We stew over past and future situations. We worry, fret and push ourselves.

Our minds and bodies are not designed to handle prolonged, constant distress.

This mental strain and physical drain makes us vulnerable to premature aging and a host of stress related illnesses.

If you are concerned about your health and want to enjoy greater levels of calm and well-being, knowing how to deal with stress is vital. For holistic stress relief, follow the three pronged approach to dealing with stress. Choose and use the tips and techniques from each category for comprehensive stress reduction.

A Three-Pronged Approach

This approach provides ways to deal with stress, both acute and chronic. It also helps you protect and shore up your mind and body resources so you are better able to cope with fewer ill effects. They are all important.

The first prong is to short-circuit acute stress.
For acute, in-the-moment stress, use techniques that help reduce stress and anxiety levels quickly. Dealing with stress as it occurs helps you shorten and reduce your reactions and physical responses. You will remain calmer and your body will get back into balance faster.

The second prong is to shore up your mind and body reserves.
With reserves, you can better handle stressful times. Your body knows how to deal with challenges and then come back into balance. When it has energy and nutrients in reserve, a temporary drain is not harmful.

When your mind is resilient and clear, it can rise to a challenge.

Provide yourself the mental and physical tools you need to cope with stress optimally and limit negative health effects.

The third prong is to eliminate 'head trash'.
Head trash includes the negative and constantly draining thoughts, emotions, and beliefs you carry around on a regular basis. They keep your dis-stress barrel full. Then, when you add a little more, you feel overwhelmed.

Chronic mental stress saps your energy and makes you vulnerable to illness.

There are effective ways to deal with stress of this kind. When you shift your thinking and release old patterns you eliminate or reduce your stress triggers. You eliminate some of your constant sources of mental drain. You become more resilient and can better cope with challenging times. Your natural state is calmer and more at peace.

Continue reading about the principles and techniques that help you reduce this kind of stress for good.

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