13 Habits of Stressed People

My entire blog has been about habits we need to develop as people with low stress levels. Today we're going to look at the habits of stressed people (hint...do the opposite!) This article was found here.

• Drink too much caffeine. 
• Constantly vent. Every once in awhile is good!
• Obsess over things they can't change. 
• Eat food that isn't healthy.
• Get overwhelmed easily.
• Don't get enough sleep.
• Overanalyze.
• Don't exercise. 
• Overload their schedules.
• Try to do everything on their own.
• Focus on the bad instead of the good. 
• Procrastinate.
• Rush through life. 

Do some of these habits sound like you? Let's use the habits I've written about in previous posts to reduce our stress levels and promote peace! 

Photo from this link

4 A's of Stress Relief

I discovered these 4 A's of Stress Relief by the Mayo Clinic from Pinterest, the source of all knowledge. These tips are so easy and encompass pretty much every area of your life! I'm learning that the journey to a stress-free lifestyle will have to address your whole life and your habits, but your new habits will reap so much more peace. The first key to stress management is changing the level of your stressors, and the second key is increasing your ability to cope with stressors. 

Avoid

Avoid needless stress. "Plan ahead, rearrange your surroundings and reap the benefits of a lighter load." Take control of the things you have control over, even if it means leaving early to beat the morning traffic. Avoid people who bother you. Learn to say no to unnecessary and unwanted responsibility. Label your to-do list with A's, B's, and C's according to importance. If you're having a busy day, its okay to not finish the C's! However, some problems can't be overlooked and need to be dealt with so create a happy medium.

Alter

"One of the best things you can do during times of stress is to take inventory, then attempt to change your situation for the better." Respectfully ask others to change their behavior and do the same. Communicate your feelings. Manage your time better by organizing your day so like tasks will be completed in the same time frame. State time limits in advance before meetings with colleagues or friends. 

Accept

Sometimes there is no choice but to accept the way things are. Talk with people about what you're feeling. Like my pastor always says, it's okay to not be okay but it isn't okay to stay that way. Forgive freely and move on. Practice talking to yourself positively. Learn from your mistakes. 

Adapt

Adjust your standards, realizing that perfection is often unattainable. Redefine success and perfection so you have less guilt to deal with. Practice stopping negative thoughts as they enter your mind. Refuse to see situations as negative situations. Look at the issue from a new vantage point, seeing the positive aspects of it. Adopt a mantra such as "I can do this" and repeat it in stressful situations. Create a column with all of the things you enjoy in life to look at when you feel stressed or hopeless. Look at the big picture- will this stressor now matter in five years?

Which of the A's do you use most in your life? Which do you need to work on?

5 Minute Meditation

For those of us practicing mindfulness, it can be difficult to set aside a large chunk of time in the day for prayer or meditation. I find it necessary to carve out an hour to center myself in God's presence. However, while I'm in my stressful school and work environments, I may not be able to find that calming time to relax. This breathing exercise is an incredible way to de-stress, even for 5 minutes. After you calm your breathing, you will be more alert and able to focus fully on the task at hand. Try this exercise once every hour today. I think you'll be amazed at how it changes your outlook on a stressful situation...I know it has for me!

Infographic from this link

How do you quiet your busy mind when you're at school or work?

Yoga Poses for Your Mind

I've had some readers ask for more yoga posts, so I found this infographic displaying yoga poses that are beneficial for your body and your mind. Some of these look really difficult, especially for newbies like me, but I want to work up to these poses. I encourage you to do some research on yoga sequences, or if you're like me, look on Pinterest for videos and infographics. There is so much out there!

Infographic from this link 

How have you been incorporating yoga into your life? Have you seen results in your overall stress level?

Mindfulness

The last CAM therapy I want to talk about (from Tessa Graf's presentation at Aperion) is mindfulness. This therapy can include meditation, prayer, counseling, and even just being present and aware of the good and the bad in your life. It includes acknowledging and not ignoring that I might not be okay and that I need to have focused time to relax and be alone. I am a lover of Jesus Christ so I pray often as a part of my relationship with Him. God is my constant and my refuge when circumstances and relationships change. I know I can always run to Him when I feel like I can't handle what I'm going through.

Graf says the people who will benefit from this the most are those who live in a fast-paced society (all of us) or who have chronic pain as a result from stress. It is so beneficial to set aside time to be quiet and reflect on your life and things you hope for. You have to individually choose to practice one of these techniques, but I promise you will see results in your decreased stress levels if you are consistent.

Picture from this link

How are you mindful? Do you pray or meditate in the morning?

Art Therapy...wha?

I must admit- when Tessa Graf from Aperion started talking about art therapy, I wanted to tune out. I am not an artist and I don't really enjoy drawing. According to Graf, art therapy can be very therapeutic and can significantly reduce stress levels, regardless of the type of art. She research studies done with art creation and also psychotherapy- where the patient interprets a previously made piece. She even looked at women in textiles, who created sewn or knitted "works of art.". In all these studies, stress was significantly reduced in all settings. Art therapy can even be used by people with physical disabilities, such as vision or hearing problems.

As I researched what to write about for this post, I realized that art therapy can be a wide range of things. On the LifeHack website, I found the post 20 Art Therapy Activities You Can Try At Home to DeStress. This post outlines 20 different ways to incorporate art therapy in your own life- from things like designing a post card and using magnetic words for poetry, to gardening and redecorating a room (which I LOVE).

I also love photography, which I think could definitely be considered a form of art therapy. It calms me and creates a sense of peace in my life when I can look at nature or beautiful things and capture it on my camera. It is therapeutic for me and I want to start intentionally devoting time to photography.

How do you use art therapy in a college setting to reduce your stress? Read the article above and tell me your favorite activities!

I took this picture on my mission trip to Honduras. It was
 a huge fruit stand on the side of the road. We stopped on our
6-hour drive into the mountains. Adventure! 

Massage Therapy for Stress Relief

Ahhhh. I've always wanted to go to a spa and receive a real massage. More than just for my relaxation and pleasure, a massage can be used to reduce my stress levels for 26 weeks or more according to Tessa Graf of my Apeiron experience. Just one massage session can reduce self-reported anxiety by incredible numbers! Massages consist of manipulation of the soft tissue. It can improve circulation, relaxation, overall well-being, and pain reduction. According to Graf, the people who can best benefit from massage therapy are those with chronic pain due to stress. I definitely fall into that category because I get headaches and tight, painful knots in my shoulders and neck from stress.

Since I don't have a lot of experience with massage, I wanted to give you another resource page that gives several techniques for stress relief. The results are listed below, so please visit the page and try them on yourself or someone you know! I will definitely be utilizing these techniques with finals coming up. Click on the link below to try them with me!

Massage Therapy for Stress Relief and Much More by Susan Seliger

• Relieve Tired Eyes
• Ease Headaches and Tension
• Relax the Hands (especially after typing all day...or night)
• Relieve Neck Tension
• Loosen Tight Shoulders
• Release the Lower Back
• Soothe Tired Feet

Picture from http://cubiclebot.com/comics/a-different-kind-of-foot-massage/