Just as there are many different things in life which cause people to feel stressed, there are lots of different strategies that you can use to alleviate it. Listed below are 5 stress reduction tips.

1. Use stress wisely

With more and more people complaining of feeling stressed it can be easy to forget that a certain amount of stress is normal and not all stress is bad. Many people say they work better under stress and although that isn’t always true the burst of energy or adrenaline that some experience can enhance their performance. We see that in sportsmen and sportswomen all the time.

2. Avoid stress sneezers

Most people have enough of their own stresses without taking on someone else’s. Have you noticed that some people are ‘stress sneezers’ Just like someone in the office who has a cold and sneezes indiscriminately about your place of work, there are people who spread their stress germs about and before you know it you’re infected too. If you have people that want to offload their stress onto you, try and avoid them.

3. Listen and learn

Have you noticed how some people appear to be able to manage stressful situations really when, even when other people are getting stressed around them. What can you learn from the way they behave? What do they differently? ‘What’s their verbal and non verbal communication like?’ The fact is that you can learn a lot from watching other people how they manage stress and adapt their strategies for you own context.

4. Identify your trigger points

Most people get stressed by particular circumstances – it might be being stuck in traffic, attending a job interview, giving a presentation, meeting tight deadlines, screaming children, loud music, a family celebration, visitors ... etc. Personally my stress levels rise as soon as I hear loud music, but it clearly doesn’t bother lots of other people. It’s important that you understand what your trigger points are and write a list. However, you need to be specific. If a trigger point is meeting a tight deadline – is it every tight deadline or is it only some deadlines rather than others. Knowing what causes your stress is powerful information that you can then use to take actions in order to minimise it.

5. Burn the candle at one end only

I don’t know whether you’re one of those people who are always on the go and try and pack far too much into every 24 hours If you do, you’re going to experience a great deal of stress and you’re likely to neglect yourself in one or more ways which could have a negative impact on your health. Make sure that you are taking time out to relax, eat properly and exercise on a regular basis.

Summary

Stress. Stress. Stress. We’re all familiar with it. The important thing is learning to manage it. Listen and learn by observing strategies that other people use when they’re stressed and adapt them for your own circumstances, avoid people who will off load their stresses onto you, identify the things that can raise your stress levels and be aware of burning the midnight oil and trying to do too much. Stress is a normal part of our lives but try to avoid letting it get out of hand.