Stress is a condition that sneaks up on you, and before you know it, it’s taken hold in a very real, difficult, and physical way. Stress is more than just a bad day; it can leave your emotional well-being in jeopardy, opening the door for anxiety to walk right in. In the year 2024, Americans are more stressed than ever, so it’s more important than ever to learn what stress is, what it does, and how to combat it for a better handle on your life.
According to the American Psychological Association, as of 2023 1 in 4 adults polled say that they experience high levels of chronic stress. This is stress that just doesn’t quit, and the kind of stress that does serious physical harm to the body on a daily basis. Women in business are among these highly stressed individuals, showing that even successful women are fighting a real battle against stress each and every day.
Tackling stress isn’t a “luxury” skill, it’s a necessary one. Long term stress can raise blood pressure, it can wreak havoc on mental health, and it can even make a person more susceptible to chronic illnesses. What works for each person will differ from the next, but a few strategies that can help you to take back control over stress in a real way are:
- Do a digital reset – While many may take to scrolling on their phones to “relieve stress”, they may not realize that they’re actually contributing to it. Headlines in the news, social media, and seeing those work-related e-mails pop up can all cause stress responses, turning your stress-relief activity into one that is actively contributing to the problem. Carve out a period of time each day where the phone gets put away entirely, and in this time take a few moments to read, meditate, or remind yourself of your own center with The OM Factor on audiobook.
- Tap into your mind-body connection – It’s easy to fail to realize just how connected your mind is to your body, and how that connection is what causes your stress symptoms in the first place. Throughout the day, observe your mind-body connection, and take note of the sensations you’re feeling during quiet or stressful times. Bettering your connection to this connection can help you to better control how you react to stressful situations.
- Observe your inner critic – Your inner narrator isn’t always your friend when it comes to stress. Fear of failure, imposter syndrome, and a “frazzled” mindset can make stressful situations worse. Rather than listening to your inner critic with your heart, take time to listen to them in an observational way instead. Notice what it’s saying to you, how it’s affecting your well-being, and soothe that narrator with the real-world authentic observations you make.
No one is immune to stress, but you can control how it’s handled. At Technalink, we take a compassionate approach to stress, and a compassionate approach to the self when stress is doing its damage.
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