Coping with Stress: 15 Tips for Relaxation

What is Stress Management?

In general, stress management (also stress management) is the umbrella term for various methods and tricks that should help to deal better with the stress of everyday life. For this it is especially important to know exactly where the stress comes from – which situation is stressful and to what extent, differs from person to person. While some people experience stress, especially at work, others are triggered by personal problems such as relationship difficulties.

Stress makes you sick in the long run

Short-term stress can be healthy and even let us run up to top form, in the long run, however, it damages our health. Chronic stress can manifest itself, for example, through symptoms such as sleep disorders, gastrointestinal problems or tension. That is why it is important to be able to cope with stress. The aim is to lower the stress level and to use various tips and methods to learn how to get more relaxation back into everyday life.

From time management to mindfulness: 15 tips for coping with stress

You hardly know where your head is because of all the stress? These stress management tips can help you with that!

1. Never say: “I’m stressed”

Anyone who has a lot to do likes to say: “I’m stressed!”. The problem with this is that you are instructing your brain to produce stress hormones even more. So when it comes to coping with stress, say: “I’m busy” – that is neutral and does not make the adrenaline level rise. The word “must” is similar: “I still have to shop, cook and clean the bathroom after work” – such sentences or thoughts create inner pressure. Rather say “I want” or “I will”. Nobody forces you to do anything.

2. Think about your most important appointment

Make an appointment to deal with stress every day – with yourself. Half an hour is enough. It is important that you really do something for yourself during the time: play the saxophone, go jogging, or sit down in a nice café with your favorite book. You can also use the time to practice some relaxation technique. Active relaxation has an additional advantage: You become permanently more relaxed – even if three people want something from you the next day at work or at home. Methods of mindfulness such as autogenic training, progressive muscle relaxation, yoga, tai chi and qigong are suitable. With this you can get the stress under control in every situation!

3. multitasking? Forget it!

Are you cleaning out the dishwasher while talking to your girlfriend on the phone? Do you read the newspaper while you eat? Stress management is different! Better to just do one thing and focus on it. How does the food taste? What does the girlfriend’s voice sound like? In this way you come to rest, become more relaxed and take advantage of the beautiful moments more consciously. In addition, you may then notice that your girlfriend is just pretending to be so happy and that she really needs to talk about her soul. You can also reduce their stress in this way.

4. Push the monkeys off your shoulders

A friend of the daycare mother is on duty for lunch. She wants to leave spontaneously and asks you to take over the cooking for once. You don’t want to let your girlfriend down and help, even though you don’t actually have the time or stress yourself. A typical example of a monkey on your shoulders. Monkeys are favors that we accept and things that we are responsible for or feel responsible for. Among your monkeys there are certainly some that actually belong to others. Check from time to time to see if monkeys that aren’t yours are making life difficult for you – and return them to their owners in a friendly but firm manner for stress management.

5. Set a goal – and don’t lose sight of it

We quickly lose sight of the goal in the daily madness. Those who do not know their goal are concerned with too much that will not get them any further. And this fraying creates stress and makes us feel like we haven’t been successful. So: Set a clear goal for the day and then achieve it. Guaranteed to bring more relaxation to everyday life!

6. Speaking of girlfriends: limit your contacts!

Your girlfriend talks about herself for hours but never wants to know how you are? Just think about whether you really want such contacts. Your free time is precious, you should spend it with people who are good for you, and who are really interested in you – and do not put you under even more stress. Just be selfish. Are there people you only hang out with out of habit or a sense of duty? Leave it! If you want to manage stress, avoid toxic encounters whenever possible.

7. A healthy diet relieves stress

Sometimes we drink liters of coffee, have a snack and wonder why we are so upset inside. Our diet affects the body and emotions. Your body needs strength in stressful times – and it can only draw from good nutrition. So rely on high-fiber foods such as whole grain products more often and also enjoy a lot of fish, fruit and vegetables!

8. Don’t get lost in details

Are you preparing an important presentation for your boss and tinkering with the subtleties forever? Don’t get lost in details. Your boss doesn’t care which shade of blue you choose for the headline. Remember the 80/20 principle. We do 80 percent of our tasks in 20 percent of the time we spend. Conversely, this means that we spend a lot of time on things that are of little use – and that creates a lot of stress. Before you bite into a task: pause for a moment and get an idea of ​​whether the effort and benefit are still in an appropriate relationship.

9. Music works against stress

Music has been proven to help against stress – at least certain songs. Quiet classics, chilled beats – it doesn’t always have to be the whale songs or the sound of the sea. A great and easy to implement tip if you have problems in everyday life to give a lot of space to coping with stress.

10. Take it easy

Shit, yesterday you forgot to call that important customer and now you’re in the meeting with the wrong documents? Is everything going wrong at the moment? Concentrate on the positive experiences and quickly forget about the negative ones, because they only cause stress. Often the damage also has a benefit. The customer you had forgotten may have been rushed from one appointment to the next yesterday and has a lot more peace and quiet for a conversation today. Unpleasant situations also often have a funny side. Take it with humor – that is much more personable than dogged perfection. Laughter also breaks down stress hormones and defuses an otherwise unpleasant situation.

11. Look over the garden fence

The working, single-parent young woman next door with her two children seems to be coping with life effortlessly. She seems relaxed and happy, she doesn’t seem to know about stress. How does she do it? Find out the secret of the people who, despite the full program, have everything under control! “Modeling by excellence” is what management calls copying from those who do it better. You are sure to find one or the other tip that you can incorporate into your everyday life.

12. Listening

Relaxation trips or meditation CDs, hypnosis apps or simply have your partner read a beautiful story in the evening – there are so many options to let beautiful voices calm you down.

13. Treat yourself to an assistant

Your assistant is a piece of paper. You don’t have to keep in mind what it says. Every evening, sit down and write down what you want to do the next day. Divide your assignments into the smallest possible packages, then scratch off one at a time. At the end of the day, you can see at a glance what you’ve achieved. Quite a lot, right? Reward yourself for ignoring the stress.

14. Take a walk

Take a few steps during the lunch break, the often vaunted evening stroll – Running brings us to rest. Just concentrate on the rhythm of the steps, on what we see, hear or smell. Don’t brood, but focus on your surroundings. And enjoy – that’s what mindfulness is all about.

15. Find like-minded people

If you are surrounded by stress junkies, it is difficult to come to rest. Look for people to whom quality of life is also important. It’s easier to slow down life together. You will definitely find what you are looking for in a yoga class or Qigong. Together you learn to bring more mindfulness into your life.

Reading tips: Do you want more tips against stress? Then take a look at our article on reducing stress. We also explain mental training and how you can enjoy your vacation.

Do you want to exchange ideas about health topics? Then take a look at ours BRIGITTE Community!