Bliss-Girls

Lets start by defining stress. It is a physiological and psychological response to a perceived threat or challenge. Not all stress is bad. Some stress is necessary as it motivates us to overcome obstacles and perform better. It can help you stay focused and achieve our goals.

When we experience stress, our body releases hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, which can have physical effects such as increased heart rate, blood pressure, and muscle tension. Over time, chronic stress can have negative effects on our mental and physical health, including anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and a weakened immune system.

Good news is that Stress can be managed. The key to managing it is understanding the root cause and finding a plan to handle it. Note that not everyone has same response to stress but understanding what are the causes and what counter options are available changes the whole game of handling stress. There are-few simple steps suggested here to managing stress. Please note – these are my personal experiences and what has worked for me might not work for others but do try it.

Stress Engineering

I call it stress engineering because stress has cause and effect. And engineering is all about understanding root cause and designing solutions.

Identify the source of stress – It could be one of the following. Please comment to let me know if there are any other factors of stress.

• Workload, deadlines and expectations
• Conflicts in personal relationships
• Health Problems
• Financial stress
• Life transitions – Marriage, motherhood, moving places
• Environmental factors

Possible Solutions

Practice relaxation techniques

Tackling stress – Immediate response

• Deep breathing or counting as you breath in and out
• Scan your body from head to toe mentally, note the areas where your muscles are tensed. Take deep breath and release the tension as you exhale
• Stretch muscles that hold tension – neck, shoulders and back
• Step away from stressful situation for few minutes

Tackling stress – long term techniques

• Meditate regularly
• Listen to music
• Go for a walks in park
• Eat healthy
• Read often

Exercise regularly – Hit the Gym, Running, cycling, walking, Yoga, Dancing

Sleep well – With less sleep a lot negative happens in your body. Get good rest.

Practice time management – This is a skill to master if your cause of stress is workload. Remember the following:

• Its ok to say No when you think you cant do something
• Its ok to ask for help when you commit to something and later you realise you need support
• List all tasks and assign priority. Make it a habit and You will soon master task prioritization.

My 5 Simple steps to manage stress

Step 1: Write down the factors that cause you to stress.

Step 2: Against each stress you have listed, write down how you can handle it when it happens next.

Step 3: Against each stress, assign a goal. I call this Replacement method. By doing this, I train my mind to focus on something more productive.

Note: This worked for me but might not work for every one else but nonetheless try it out.

Tip: In case this does not work for you, you can instead try what I call Social therapy – Make a close friends circle and call them as often as you can and have regular heart to heart talks.

Step 4: Write daily or weekly journal of your thoughts and feelings. After you have written, highlight or underline any negative thoughts. Then write 5 to 10 positive points or motivational quotes.

Tip: For every negative thought, write a positive/motivational quote

Step 5: Make your personal mantra list. Repeat them as often as possible. I repeat them first thing in the morning and as and when the situation arises

My Stress Factors	Plans to handle stress	Replacement factor	Mantra
Relationship stress – Kids	1. Tension builds around my shoulders. Take deep breaths and release it out 2. Assign kids some house chore which they enjoy a lot 3. Engage them in a conversation by asking about their favourite topics	1. Write a blog post 2. Read a book 3. Cook something special and enjoy the food	It might make sense if I see things from their perspective
Relationship stress – Adults	1. Step away from the situation for few minutes/hours if possible 2. Write down all rantings/complaints in journal 3. After couple of days post the event, If possible and if worth , talk to the other person about how I felt	1. Pick the next goal from my goal list and start working on it 2. Learn a new skill 3. Start something new	I am an artist and a day in my life is like fresh clay. I will craft it into something beautiful and not let some external factor ruin my design
Workload, deadlines and expectations	1. Start day by listing out all tasks I have to do in the day. 2. Allocate time for each task 3. Start with the task I love to do the most followed by the task I do not like to do and then again the task that I like. So keep altering between like and dislike.	1. Explore tools for planning and time management 2. Watch YouTube videos on the subject (there are many)	1. Its ok if I can’t so something within the time promised. What seems important today will not have the same importance 10 years down the Lane. 2. Do it, dust it
Health Problems	1. Exercise and eat healthy. No compromise on health	No Replacement.	If I have good health all other problems are nothing big. It can be dealt with easily.

Hope you enjoyed reading. If you follow any other methods to manage stress, please comment and let me know. Thanks for your time.