When stress can’t be removed from your life, then the toll it takes can
be reduced by developing strategies for coping with it. Here are
some suggestions:
A) Cope with stress by creating locomotion through simple tasks
In our stress management section we discussed how to break apart large problems into simple tasks. When coping with severe stress, it also helps us to focus on any small, effort-driven task that will help you move forward. “By narrowing your focus by completing a simple task, you force whatever was overwhelming you to recede into the background,” says Jay Winner, M.D., author of Take the Stress Out of Your Life. (Boone, 2002)
Focusing on simple ordinary chores such as folding laundry or doing
the dishes can help relieve stress and tension, especially since having
accomplished something, you’ll feel better once it’s done. Locomotion is key: Work to take positive steps forward, no matter what those steps are or how small they may seem at the time.
B) Make it funny
Use writing exercises to create a humorous story about your stress.
Adopting a lighter attitude towards it will help you cope with it better.
C) Take up meditation
Now is a good time to look into the practice of meditation, if you haven’t already. See our chapter on meditation for instructions on how to meditate and various meditation exercises.
D) Utilize massage therapy
Touching – especially massage, caressing, and other types of more
intimate and extensive touching – releases powerful neurotransmit-
ters and other chemicals throughout the brain and body that counter-
act the effects of stress. Whenever stress goes up, use touch and
affection to help balance them out.
E) Massage your eyes
Debbie Mandel, stress management expert and author of Addicted to
Stress, suggests this quick technique to help you cope and unwind
after a stressful day: Warm a small amount of olive or almond oil in
a glass by submerging it in a bowl of hot water. Once the oil becomes
tepid, use your thumb and forefingers to massage it back and forth
around your eyes.
F) How nature can help you cope with stress
Being in natural environments causes a natural drop in cortisol levels and works to reduce stress. This needn’t be a trip to the mountains every day. There are many small ways you can do this throughout your normal environment that will help reduce stress. See the information in the chapter on nature therapy on our website.
G) Create comforting rituals
During stressful times, it’s helpful to establish different relaxing routines and rituals that can help you cope with stress.
Other methods that will help you cope with stress:
1. If you’re religious, pray. Religious people who pray before a stressful task had lower blood pressure and felt less anxious than those who didn’t.
2. Engage in exercise, and preferably exercise you enjoy. Strenuous
physical activity helps to keep your body and brain more balanced. This “positive stress” helps us better cope with the negative kind,and it releases endorphins and BDNF (an important neural protein) in the brain.