XI. Stress Curing Techniques – How to Deal with Stress

It’s all but impossible to cure the type of situations that cause stress. However, it is possible to implement short-term and long-term techniques that can help to minimize stress, and its effects, during situations that would normally cause you to suffer from this problem.

When faced with a stressful situation, many people allow the stress to build, rather than simply dealing with the problem. They might conclude that it’s just something that is, and cannot be changed, or it will take too much effort to make the situation reverse. It is, however, unhealthy to live with large stress levels, and in most cases, a situation can be changed, with a little effort.

Being aware of both how you are feeling, and the external situation is the key to bringing stress under control. It’s important that you be realistic about circumstances that are out of your control. It’s also vital that you don’t face the situation with fear, or obsession though. Neither will help to change what is happening.

Simply taking a deep breath to clear your head can help. Shallow breathing can lead to neck tension, which then affects your entire body. Breathe deeply and gently move your neck from side to side if you do feel any tension beginning.

Don’t turn the exercise into a production though. You’re not trying to turn it into a yoga class. You’re simply trying to release any tension quickly and simply. Two or three deep breaths are usually enough to help stop tension forming.

The above suggestions are only really helpful for acute stress though, the kind brought on by a particular situation or event, but that subsides quickly. Chronic stress, which is a result of ongoing circumstances, requires more intensive methods to be used.

Getting outside and taking a walk can be useful. Fresh air and sunshine are both helpful in clearing your head, and exercising, even if it’s simply walking, is effective in helping to reduce the physical symptoms associated with stress.

Listening to music you associate with a happy even or time in your life can be effective, as can watching a comedy. Laughter really is the best medicine when it comes to relieving stress. Creative endeavors, from writing to sculpting, building to painting can all be beneficial. You can channel your stress into energy and create something beautiful.

Talking, but not over talking, to a friend can be helpful. Don’t focus too much on what is causing the stress, but bounce ideas about how to deal with the situation off the other person. Don’t obsess, but rather think of ways to make the situation better, and then act on those ideas. It’s also important to choose someone to talk to who isn’t going to bring their own negativity to the problem.

All of these methods can help to relieve the symptoms of stress, but it’s important to realize that they do nothing towards working on the underlying problem. The only way to actually cure stress is to deal with the problem, rather than, simply dealing with the side issues that arise because of the problem.

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