It’s completely normal to feel stressed after certain events. Sometimes it’s even beneficial; because it helps us respond well to threatening situations. But other times, it’s negative, and it prevents us from moving on with our lives- we might feel overwhelmed by stress after losing a job, failing a test, or ending a relationship. At this point, we can try a few ways to achieve stress self-recovery.
But how do we know when we need to do something about it? How can we distinguish positive stress from the negative one? Well, there are some signs that can lead us to the right answer.
How can stress affect an individual?
Here are some signs:
• Your energy level has increased or decreased
• Feeling irritable: you burst with anger more easily
• Your sleeping pattern has changed
• Feelings of excessive worry
• Having difficulty concentrating
• Not being able to feel pleasure
• Having a stomachache or a headache
• No appetite or increased appetite
• Feeling overwhelmed or numb
• Not being able to remember things
What are stress reduction techniques?
Below are some stress self-recovery methods, and a few actions that may just do the opposite!
The Do’s and Don’ts
Do’s
Can you remove the stressor?
This is an important question about stress self-recovery:
• Sometimes we’re stressed while doing a task. Asking for help and support can remove the stressor, which might have been caused by the amount of work.
• Some other times, we can recover ourselves from stress by lowering our expectations, and remove the stressor in the process.
Bodily Needs
Stress affects our body, so we need to take care of it the best way we can. You may be wondering “How can I help my body recover from stress?”:
One way to do that is not to forget to stay hydrated. This may not sound like it’s a big deal, but staying hydrated makes a lot of difference!
Rhythmic Exercises
Activities such as walking, dancing, and swimming can really help with stress self-recovery.
Social Support
Try to reach out to people- talk with friends you trust and feel safe with!
Facing It
It might be difficult to confront your stressor, but running away from tough moments will most likely worsen the situation. On the other hand, facing it will help you solve it, or feel better about it, and that can very well lead you to self-recovery from stress!
Relaxation Techniques
Yoga, music, and breathing exercises are all solid ways to help us achieve stress self-recovery.
Let’s do an activity to grasp this better:
Think about something that stressed you a little. Don’t think about an overwhelming stressor, just something that stresses you out a tiny bit! Now, feel your pulse.
Then, try this breathing technique: Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 3, and exhale for 6-8 seconds. Repeat this process 10 times.
Now feel your pulse again. It has slowed down, hasn’t it?
Sleep Well
Feeling stressed can affect your sleep. So, making sure you get enough sleep plays a huge role in your process of self-recovery from stress.
Check the Facts
Interestingly, on many occasions the reality is less stressful than we think it is. So, check the facts to make sure you are seeing reality as it is!
Pleasurable Activities
Above all, do what makes you happy and peaceful!
Don’ts
Activities That Help You Forget
There are times that we prefer to do things that make us forget about a situation or an event. While this isn’t always bad, it can make you feel worse if it’s done repeatedly. Drinking a lot is one of the bad instances of this.
Isolation
You might feel like being alone sometimes, which is a part of the stress. Therefore, for stress self-recovery, it’s best to stay connected to the people you love.
Leave Your Routine
One of the reasons why we’re more affected by stress is because our routine gets disrupted. That is to say, stick to your routine as much as possible!
Feel Guilty for Feeling Better
Remember this: Feeling joyful, happy, and energetic is okay, even if you are going through something difficult!
Happiness-19 and Self-Recovery from Stress
You will be able to recover yourself much more easily if you have enough practice, and make time to reflect on your techniques.
Naturally, our memory and concentration are affected when we are stressed, and our thinking gets cloudy. As a precaution, you need to learn and practice skills when you’re not stressed. This way, you’ll get to use them much more quickly and easily when you need them!
In our 5-week experience, Happiness-19, we have selected and included multiple skills that help you cope with stressful events. You will have time to practice them, and use the ones that are the most helpful for you. Moreover, you will even have e-handbooks that help you remember all the skills that you will need, when you need them!
Sources
•Healthy ways to handle life’s stressors: American Psychological Association. Available from https://www.apa.org/topics/stress/tips
•Coping With Stress During Infectious Disease Outbreaks: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Available from: https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/d7/priv/sma14-4885.pdf
•Ozbay, F., Johnson, D. C., Dimoulas, E., Morgan, C. A., Charney, D., & Southwick, S. (2007). Social support and resilience to stress: from neurobiology to clinical practice Psychiatry (Edgmont (Pa.: Township)), 4(5), 35–40.
