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Techniques for Managing Stress

Stress is a significant problem in the lives of numerous people. Different forms of stress may seem to come in endless waves. While it is healthy to maintain some level of stress, many people may feel overwhelmed and unable to do daily tasks efficiently. According to Garth Castle, author of "Controlling Stress," keeping control is a central part of many stress solutions because it allows people to properly assess, avoid and solve stressful situations.

  1. Stress Journal

    • One of the first steps to keeping stress under control is to keep a journal dedicated to documenting stress, HelpGuide.org points out. The journal is a tool for identifying the various sources of stress in a person's life. He can write a comprehensive list of stress-related factors from home, school, work and public life. After identifying the sources, he would write about how he felt during that situation and his response to that stress. In time, the journal would contain recognizable patterns about the causes and response to stress. This is useful for determining which problems constantly arise and which solutions consistently work.

    Unnecessary Stress

    • Unnecessary stress can come from sources that a person can easily handle or avoid entirely. These sources may seem important or vital in daily life, but they usually cause more trouble to the person than they're worth. HelpGuide.org suggests that a person should know her limits and say "no" to certain requests from others. Also, putting too many things on a to-do list may result in the person not doing any of those things at all, or very few.

    Positive Reinforcement

    • Positive reinforcement for accomplishments is an effective combatant to stress. This can reinforce the person's sense of value, knowing he has done successful things in his life. Positive reinforcement boosts confidence and helps you get the proper mind-set to make decisions. Other potential sources of positive reinforcement can include family, school or company retreats and mentors. These people and activities can highlight a person's best qualities and talents, giving him an emotional and psychological boost.

    Relaxation Techniques

    • There is a vast body of study about proper relaxation techniques to deal with stress. According to the University of Michigan Health Center, proper relaxation is a mentally active process that can be learned and must be done while awake. It is recommended that you set aside a specific amount of time during the day to do relaxation activities. These include deep breathing, meditation, guided imagery and muscle relaxation. In particular, yoga is a widely used technique that incorporates various elements from these relaxation techniques. It is based on traditional Eastern meditation arts and works on different parts of the body.

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