14 Ways to Manage Stress

Do you feel overwhelmed by too much to do and not enough time to do it? Are you dealing with a difficult situation at home or work? Do you have unexplained aches and pains, and/or feel tired all the time? Are you feeling all stressed out? If your answer to any of these questions is yes, this article on ways to manage stress may provide you with some much-needed encouragement and hope.

Stress is that gap that is between the demands that are placed upon us and our ability to meet those demands. – Pastor Adrian Rogers

Stress is an inescapable part of life. It is how the body reacts to challenges, demands, or major life changes such as having a baby, relocating, losing a job, or getting a promotion that involves added responsibility. Though you may not be able to choose what happens to you, you can choose how you respond.

Not all stress is bad. Small surges of stress can help keep you excited about life, help your body and mind stay alert and ready to respond to danger, help you do well under pressure, and motivate you to perform your best. Chronic stress, however, can weaken your immune system and lead to health problems such as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, or depression.

Causes of Stress

The causes of stress can be short-term or long-term.

Short-term stress, for instance, may be caused by not having enough time to get everything done, or a build-up of little irritating things during the course of your day such as having an argument, not being able to locate something you need, running late, being interrupted in the middle of a project, or getting stuck in a traffic jam.

Causes of long-term stress can include issues such as money problems, long-standing difficulties at work or home, chronic illness, taking care of a loved one with special needs, or dealing with a death or divorce.

Signs of Stress

Stress can make you feel anxious and irritable, and have wandering thoughts that make it difficult to concentrate or stay focused. You may also experience physical symptoms such as headaches, an upset stomach, muscle tension, and trouble sleeping.

Benefits of Managing Stress

Learning how to manage stress can help you feel more balanced and relaxed, sleep better, be present and able to deal with whatever comes your way, maintain a better mood, and get along better with others.

Ways to Manage Stress

Stress is hard to avoid, but there are ways you can learn to manage it and minimize its effects so that it does not interfere with your physical or mental well-being.

Recognize it

Learning how to recognize stress is the first step to managing it. Identifying and documenting the situations that stress you the most and the ways you typically respond to them can help you identify patterns and triggers and enable you to be prepared to counter their effects in new, healthier ways.

Accept the things you cannot change

Look at the big picture and ask yourself how important what is stressing you will be a month or a year from now, and whether it’s worth getting stressed over. Focus on the things you can change and control, such as yourself and the way you react to stressors, rather than stress out over things that you can’t.

Take care of your body

Taking care of your body by eating well, getting enough sleep, making time to relax, and doing some form of regular physical exercise can help maintain the physical, mental, and emotional reserves you need to successfully prevent and manage stress.

Resorting to unhealthy habits such as drinking, smoking, or using drugs to help you cope, on the other hand, should be avoided as they may provide temporary relief, but create additional problems and increase your stress in the long run.

Eliminate hurry

Look for ways you can slow down. Set your clock ahead five or ten minutes, for example, so you can get to appointments a little early and avoid the stress of rushing to make it on time or being late. Break things up by taking short respites to do some stretches, take a quick walk, or just relax.

Set limits

List all the commitments and to-do’s that are overwhelming you and prioritize them. Cut back on anything that is not essential, and delegate what you can. Don’t accept new commitments until you can comfortably handle those you already have.

Downsize expectations

Downsizing your expectations can help reduce much of the self-imposed stress in your life. Examine your schedule, for instance, and make reasonable substitutions where possible rather than strive for perfection or allow yourself to be driven by guilt. Learn to say no, and to ask for help when you need it.

Plan ahead and manage your time

Decide which things are important and which can wait and learn to prioritize. Set realistic goals and expectations and create a schedule rather than put things off until the last minute. Break large tasks up into smaller, more manageable units, and create a timetable for when each segment needs to be completed. Make sure to include time to do something you enjoy in your schedule as well.

Connect with others

Spending time with friends is a good way to relax and feel connected. A trusted friend you can talk things through with when you feel stressed can also help you see things from a different perspective or help you find a solution you had not thought of.

Laugh

Try to see the humor in things rather than take yourself or life too seriously. Find things to laugh about. Proverbs 17:22 states that “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones (NIV).” This word of wisdom from the Bible is backed by studies indicating that laughter can improve mood, give your immune system a boost, and even lessen pain by increasing the release of feel-good endorphins into your bloodstream while reducing the production of stress hormones.

Practice relaxation techniques

Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, mindfulness, and grounding exercises that center you in the present moment, can help activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the relaxation response.

Keep a gratitude journal

Look for things to be thankful for as you go about the course of your day and record them in a gratitude journal that you can read through to encourage you during stressful moments. Practicing gratitude has been shown to improve mood, lower blood pressure, and lead to better sleep.

Replace negative thoughts

Talk back to negative thoughts about your stressful situation and replace them with truths from the Word of God (the Bible). Meditate on these truths and focus on the promises of God rather than your own faulty thinking.

Serve

Find a way to serve others. When you focus on helping others who are less fortunate it makes your troubles seem much smaller.

Pray

Talk to God about your problems and your feelings. Ask Him to show you any unhealthy things you are letting into your life that you need to let go of or areas you need to look at from a different perspective. Every circumstance that comes your way is an opportunity to lean on Him and trust Him to help you. When you do, He promises to replace your stress with His peace that surpasses understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6; Philippians 4:6-7; Isaiah 26:3).

Stress can be hard to deal with on your own. If you need more help than what this article on ways to manage stress could provide and would like to set up a risk-free appointment to meet with one of the faith-based counselors at our location to discuss how we can help you manage the challenges you are facing, please give us a call.

Christian counselors are trained mental health professionals who use a combination of conventional clinical interventions and biblical principles.