Five stress management techniques

Everyone talks about the importance of managing stress but it isn’t always as easy as it sounds. Stress is all around us - at home, at work, and in our families. However, too much stress isn’t good for our health, so it’s important to reduce it wherever possible.

In this article, we’re going to give you some stress management techniques, helping you to take a step back and focus on what’s important.

What is stress?

First of all, let’s talk about what stress is. Stress is our body’s natural reaction to pressure. This can be useful at times, giving us the fight or flight reflex that allows us to respond quickly to emergencies, and pushing us through the fear of making a speech or performing on stage.

What can stress cause?

Stress can trigger many different feelings. The way you’ll feel under stress will largely depend on your personality and genetics. Some of the feelings that you might experience when you’re stressed include:

• Sadness

• Anxiety

• Anger

• Irritation

• Depression

• Fear

You might also experience physical symptoms of stress, which can include:

• Nausea or sickness

• Headaches

• Hyperventilation

• Heart palpitations

• Sweating

• Aches and pains

• Loss of appetite

• Stress eating

Stress management techniques

Stress can quickly build up and affect your daily life. That’s why it’s so important to be able to recognize the signs of stress and have a catalog of techniques that you can use to reduce your stress levels when required. This is known as stress management and is crucial for lasting health and happiness.

Here are five stress management techniques to help you tackle anything life throws your way:

• Exercise

• Mindfulness

• Taking a break

• Talking through your problems

• Hiring a Life Coach

Exercise

Physical exercise can help to counter the effects of stress. This is because exercise stimulates your body to produce endorphins which naturally boost your mood. Even if it’s just a short walk, try and take some exercise whenever you’re feeling stressed. Out of all the stress management techniques out there, exercise is the one that will give you the most immediate results, as endorphins are produced as little as 30 minutes after exercise! That's why we always feel amazing post-workout or run.

If you're looking to manage your stress levels but don't fancy yourself as a fitness fanatic, even a short walk with some fresh air and vitamin d can work wonders for your mood. Or, if you want to boost your fitness but don't know where to begin, you can hire a personal trainer.

Practice mindfulness

Mindfulness is a type of meditation that can be practiced anywhere, at any time. It involves being present and grounding yourself, allowing your mind to find a place of calm. Mindfulness is an ancient practice with religious origins but is a popular stress management technique in the modern world. Mindfulness helps to ground you in the present moment without worrying about past or future events.

If you’re feeling anxious, a few minutes of mindfulness is a powerful stress management activity, as it can help to reset your mind and restore your focus.

Take a break

All the stress-management activities in the world won't help you if you're not looking after yourself. Basic self-care routines such as getting enough rest, eating well, and taking time for yourself are absolutely essential stress management techniques, but are often overlooked. Remember, your mental health is acutely linked with your physical health, so make sure that you are fuelling your body with nourishing foods and getting enough sleep.

Did you know that many foods contain nutrients that actually help to reduce stress? For example, eating sweet potato helps to lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol. If you're not sure which foods you should be eating and which ones you should be avoiding, why not hire a nutritionist to set you on the right path?

It’s important to take time out to practice self-care when you’re feeling stressed. In today’s modern world, we’re under pressure to perform in every aspect of our lives, playing many roles to many people. Whether you choose to take a bath, practice yoga, or read a book, taking time out to practice self-care can help to reduce your stress levels and calm your mind.

Self-care takes many forms depending on the individual, and something that works for someone else may not work for you. The trick is finding out what makes you feel calm and relaxed, whether it's listening to a podcast, calling a friend, or going on a walk. Though these may seem like simple activities, they are powerful stress management techniques if practiced regularly.

Talk about your problems

You’ve probably heard the saying “a problem shared is a problem halved”, but it’s true for this situation too. Talking to a trusted friend about your problems can be a powerful stress management technique, allowing you to release pent-up feelings.

Tip: If you don't think you can talk about your problem with someone that you know, such as a friend or family member, then you could also speak to a professional. Whether it's a life coach, therapist, or counselor, talking to someone removed from the situation may help you feel more comfortable discussing your issues. People who are personally involved with you may have an emotional investment in your situation, whereas a professional will have an entirely objective viewpoint, which can be useful for finding a solution to a problem.

Hire a Life Coach

If stress is becoming too much, hiring a certified life coach could be the answer. They can help you to evaluate your life and work out where you could make changes to reduce your stress levels. They’ll also support you in thinking about your future goals and creating a realistic plan to achieve them.

Here are a few stress management techniques that your life coach can help you to adopt, to live a happier and more fulfilling life:

What stress management tips can a Life Coach help with?

Isolate your stress triggers

If you're looking for techniques to manage stress, it must start with understanding what your stress triggers are. Being aware of the external situations, environments, and people that cause you to feel stressed is a massive step in the right direction. Your life coach will be able to work with you to gauge which things trigger you and why, as well as how to manage them when they arise.

Create long-term improvements

While a life coach will help you to work towards short-term stress-management goals, they'll also be able to help you acquire habits and stress-management techniques that will contribute to your long-term wellbeing. They'll help you to break down long-term goals into smaller milestones, guiding you towards self-fulfillment. Feeling like you have purpose and direction is a powerful stress management technique in itself.

Learn how to master your thoughts

Our thoughts are so powerful that they can be both transformative and destructive. If you don't know how to stop negative thoughts from taking over, it can become very dangerous. For example, if you constantly tell yourself you aren't good enough for that job promotion then you'll probably never go for it. Whereas if you learn to cultivate positive thoughts, such as 'I'm worthy of that job promotion', you're far more likely to put yourself forward for it and increase your chances of success.

A good life coach will teach you tips to break out of negative thought cycles, which can do wonders for your productivity. It will also help you to manage stress, as having a more positive mindset will help you to cope with difficult situations in your work or personal life and minimize stress before it takes over.

Set realistic goals

While goal-setting is a great way to structure your progress, creating unrealistic goals can contribute to stress rather than alleviating it. Your life coach will help you to set realistic goals which you're more likely to stick to. Mastering goal setting is a powerful stress management technique, as it acts as a measurement of progress and a motivation to keep going.

FAQ: How much does a Life Coach cost?

If you're thinking about hiring a life coach to help with stress management techniques, you might be wondering how much it'll cost you. While all life coaches charge differently depending on their experience, we've created a handy price guide which gives you a detailed break down of average life coaching costs in the US, including the price differences between hiring a life coach in-person and remotely.

Find a certified Life Coach on Bark

If you’re struggling to find effective techniques for managing stress, hiring a life coach could help.

Whether it's managing stress or anxiety at work or in your personal life, they'll help you to tackle your issues head-on, creating practical solutions to minimize stress. If you're not sure whether you'd benefit from having a life coach, the best thing is to talk to a certified life coach on Bark.