5 Tips on How to Deal With Chronic Stress

by Tristan Loo

The constant pressure of anxiety is the feeling of not being in control of your environment. This removes the safety net of security because you believe that you are constantly in danger. The danger-feeling that you experience can be either physical danger or emotional danger, such as in the case of public humiliation or embarrassment.

5 Tips on Dealing With Chronic Stress

Exercise Regularly

Think of stress as pure energy inside your body that is building pressure inside of you with no where to go. Eventually, if you allow this energy to build up enough, it will explode out of you in the form of an emotional outburst. Physical activities such as walking, jogging, swimming, weight lifting, racquetball, dancing, biking, or sports serve as a outlet to vent that stored energy out of your body and lower that pressure within you, thus removing the potential for an explosion to happen. Exercise is by far the most effective method of relieving stress and a regular exercise routine should be incorporated into you’re weekly routine as, not only a fitness regime, but also a stress maintainance one as well.

Let go of Your Control

One of the keys to reducing your anxiety is simply by relinquishing control of your environment. Realize that you can't control every situation and you can't control the willpower of other people. Life is unpredictable. Life is dynamic and always changing. You can do your best to plan and anticipate on what will happen in the future, but never will you be able to control the outcome of it. The one thing you

have control over in life is yourself and how you respond to life. There is no point in worrying about something that you have no control over so when you start to feel stressed about a situation simply take a step back and ask yourself, "Do I have control over this situation?" If you don't have control over the situation then RELAX because its out of your hands. Always remember that the one thing that you have control over is yourself.

Stay Away From Self-Abusive Behavior

In our quest to self medicate ourselves from stress, we sometimes resort to using excessive alcohol, drugs(prescription or street drugs), reckless behavior, over or under eating, or social withdrawal. The intent of all of these is to make yourself artificially feel better, however these self-abusive behaviors are only addressing the symptoms of stress and not the stress itself. Think of these types of behaviors as using a credit card without having any income--you get to spend a little in the short term, but in the long-term you end up paying a far greater price. Stay away from self abusive behavior and channel your stress-energy into more productive, self-benefiting behaviors. Self-benefiting behaviors could be things such as having a massage, a hot bath, meditation, yoga, or what ever hobby or thing you enjoy.

Maintain a Healthy Diet

Your body requires proper nutrition in order for it to be able to supply the muscles with energy and to make essential hormones necessary for your body to cope with stress. Therefore, it's important that you consume plenty of: water (8

glasses daily), foods rich in zinc and magnesium, foods rich in vitamin A and folic acid, whole grain breads and cereals, fresh fruit and vegetables, and low-fat milk or soy milk. You want to avoid excessive amounts of caffeine, alcohol, sugar, salt, saturated fats, and skipping meals. Skipping meals throws off your blood sugar levels throughout the day, which lower your body’s ability to handle stress.

Avoid Stressful Situations

You'd be surprised how much stress you can eliminate from your daily routine through simple planning. Simply analyze your typical day and pick out those reoccurring situations that cause you stress on a day-to-day basis. Use creative planning to come up with better ways of either handling those situations or avoiding them altogether. By avoiding situations which are stressful to you, you can successfully reduce the amount of chronic stress that you suffer from.

Tristan Loo is the founder of Alternative Conflict Resolution Services, a management consultancy based out of San Diego County, California. Mr. Loo is a former police officer, conflict expert, professional mediator, negotiator, and author of Street Negotiation--How to Resolve Any Conflict Anytime. Mr. Loo gained his experience by actively engaging conflict out on the streets, honing his knowledge and understanding of conflict during hundreds of dangerous encounters with hostile and violent subjects.

For additional FREE articles and products, please visit our website at http://www.acrsonline.com

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