A simple strategy to combat stress and 4 habits that accumulate it (without realizing it)

 Have you ever had a day where everything seems to get worse with each passing second?…

We have all had that feeling of being on the edge of stress. Problems appear suddenly and continue to arise non-stop, like a broken pipe.

Many times we know the source of this stress spiral, while at other times we are maintaining some habits that only accumulate more and more stress (without realizing it)

In any case, I have a quick and easy strategy to combat stress, find out what it is here.

"Worry killed the cat" -Popular saying

Please re-read the sentence above.

It probably sounds strange to you, because the phrase is commonly known as: "Curiosity killed the cat. "

But was it really curiosity that killed the cat? ...

According to Wikipedia, the phrase comes from England, around the 16th century. "Curiously" in the original phrase, the cat dies of concern and not of curiosity.

As time went by, the people and the translations were redesigning the concept and in the end, nobody knows very well that the poor cat died.

The interesting thing is that the expression itself was related to the problems that worry (or stress in its most modern form) causes for health. Yes, even if you have 7 lives.

Stress becomes the starting point for the appearance of many diseases.

Imagine for a second the worst day you've ever had. Of those times when everything is delayed, problems arise everywhere, nothing goes as you expect and you are on the verge of a nervous breakdown (you even feel the stress of knowing that you have stress ).

Surely when you imagine this day of terror, you remember having perspired more than normal, you remember a feeling of discomfort in the stomach, an intense headache, and your rapid breathing.

All of the above reactions are caused by stress. And when they are kept over long periods of time they can affect your well-being and not only that, but they can also trigger serious diseases (just like what happened to the cat).

Everything (absolutely everything) you have to know to start meditating

Share on Twitter

If after reading all of the above, you felt even more stressed it is normal ...

So please stop reading and relax for a second: close your eyes, breathe deeply and exhale slowly (here I wait for you)

Already?… Ok, we continue

The problem is not feeling stress, the real problem is that we don't know how to convert all that energy into something useful.

The important thing is to use stress to take action and not try to eliminate it entirely.

The best solution would be to eliminate stress before it appears, but since this is not always possible, the strategy that I will tell you later works effectively.

No matter how bad you are, no matter what your day is like, this strategy will surely be a relief. Like a breath of fresh air in the summer sun.

But, before you know what it's about, think about this:

Most of the time, stress appears when we stop living in the moment. When we transport ourselves to the future (still unknown) and start with certain assumptions about what could happen.

We worry about "possible future problems" that do not yet exist in the present.

There is a phrase that relaxes me every time I read it, and that explains this point well:

“ I am old and I know many problems, but most of them have never happened ” - Mark Twain

 

However, it is true that other times we feel stress, without knowing very well why; As if all of a sudden it will build up over time and we carry an old load of stress on our backs.

Therefore, before knowing how to manage stress (and take advantage of it), it is important to know some habits that are generating stress without realizing it!

These 4 habits are probably accumulating stress in your life without you noticing

The big causes of stress in life are easy to identify, for example, unexpected or uncomfortable changes, illness, money problems, too busy a schedule, and the list can go on and on….

The problem is that there are also certain daily habits that can be causing stress in your life, and put your well-being on the tightrope.

In fact, a study showed that these hidden factors, together with the great causes of stress, can generate long-term problems in your health, and also decrease your tolerance to more severe stressors such as pain.

This means that the more stress you experience, the less able to combat and solve it. As if you were trying to escape from a swamp and with each attempt it sank you deeper and deeper ...

The good news is that by identifying these stress-generating habits, you can take action to replace them with better habits.

Sleeping too late

Not having adequate rest at night, has an impact throughout your day. According to some studies, people who sleep very late have more negative thoughts, anxiety, and high levels of stress.

Worse still, if you go to sleep late, these negative effects appear, regardless of the number of hours you sleep.

If this is your case, and you want to know more about how to sleep better, 

click here.

Drink a lot of coffee

Caffeine increases the levels of certain substances in your body such as adrenaline, cortisol (hormone-related to stress), and blood pressure. The above makes you more sensitive to everyday stressors and ultimately to interfering with sleep (making the situation worse).

And although it is best if the body manages to stimulate itself without the need for any external substance, sometimes we need a little push to motivate us to finish the multiple tasks of the day.

Therefore, I recommend that you control the number of cups of coffee (maximum 3 cups average size and not heavily loaded) or that you be encouraged to try other options, such as green tea.

Personally, green tea without sugar ( matcha ) has become part of my work routine, it is soft, relaxing and easy to prepare.

Also, compared to coffee, a cup of green tea contains 25mg of caffeine (theine), while coffee contains 95mg. Another advantage is that the effect stays constant for longer. So you don't have an energy spike and then a slump.

Eating unhealthy and processed foods

The levels of cortisol (hormone related to stress) increases naturally every time we eat, mainly to aid in the digestion of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, so that our body can use these nutrients.

However, this stress hormone increases to abnormal levels due to the consumption of processed foods. as these contain high levels of saturated fat, trans fat, sugar or chemical additives.

Over time the negative consequences appear, causing blood sugar imbalances, weight gain, digestive problems, weak immune system, and even heart disease.

Do restrictive diets

You may think that counting your calories and cutting food groups in your diet is a good idea, but you're wrong.

Following a restrictive diet and obsessing over the selection of "low fat" or "low calorie" foods only cause your cortisol (stress hormone) levels to rise abnormally.

Maybe right now you are wondering:   what about the known causes that cause me stress? ...

Well, below you find an effective solution to combat stress from any cause and also obtain great advantages in your favor.

How to combat stress effectively?

According to some therapists, the best way to decrease the stress produced is to simply remove these emotions from the system. For example: hitting a pillow, shouting at all 4 winds, honking the car horn like crazy, throwing objects, etc.

This type of strategy has become very popular, but does it really work to reduce stress?

One study attempted to verify this: 600 students were asked to write an essay on a particular topic (which took time and effort).

Later that essay was "graded." The researchers made sure that all students received extremely negative feedback regarding their work. Obviously, the comment and the rating, made them very angry and generated a peak of stress.

Here comes the interesting part, only a group of students were given the opportunity to hit a punching bag (to get this stress out of their system and “let off steam”), while another group was asked to sit and silent.

Curiously, those who had hit the punching bag and yelled had not reduced their stress levels and the students who were sitting and silent did not decrease their stress either ...

So if this strategy does not work to relieve stress, anger, or frustration, what does?

This is the easiest and most effective solution to combat stress.

The best way to combat stress and take advantage of it is to get out of your head and return to the present moment. At that moment, you discover all the potential that "negative" energy can generate in your favor.

To return to the present time, you have to put this strategy into practice:

To write,

It is the most effective strategy to combat stress and take advantage of it.

You do not believe me?…

Writing about your frustration, stress or overwhelm has many advantages:

Chase away the stress from your mind and body

A paper becomes a physical place where you can deposit that problem, frustration, stress, or worry. In this way, stress does not have to live in your head, in your body or in someone who has nothing to do with it.

Helps you find the way out of the maze

When we feel stress, everything around us becomes a whirlwind. It seems that our vision darkens and we begin to see everything with a cloud of negativity. Which only makes you feel more and more stress.

As you write, you can find the eye of the hurricane. That is the true cause that causes this whirlwind of stress, and thus solve it in the best way.

Change your perspective

This analogy explains very well, the concept:

When you're in the middle of a stress episode, it's kind of like being in the middle of a storm. You are completely wet and feeling the cold wind in every inch of your skin.

Instead, when you write it down and get it out of your mind, it's as if you're suddenly watching that storm comfortably from your window (with a blanket on one side of the fireplace).

You manage to take IMMEDIATE action

This is without a doubt the best best part of all. When we simply wait for stress to run its course and gradually fade away, nothing changes at all.

It is as if we miss that energy. Because when you feel stress again, once again you will be trapped in that maze, increasingly affecting your well-being and your health!

Writing how you feel and trying to find the origin and the solution, also helps you see what you can improve on your attitude towards these types of situations. This makes a huge difference in the long term because it helps you prevent stress in the future.

Makes you feel in control of your life and your emotions

Having this strategy up your sleeve and putting it into practice makes you feel like you suddenly rip your shirt off to become your own superhero.

You have in your hands the power to find a quick solution, without letting yourself be carried away by this tide of negative emotions.

You have in your pocket the best strategy to catch the villain of your action movie ( which is called daily life). As if each time you managed to defeat stress and rescue yourself, with this phrase:

"You know what stress? ... 

You can't hurt me anymore, I've beaten you!"

If you don't know what to write, this template will be your salvation at any time of stress.

One last quick tip!

An excellent complement to that a strategy is listening to classical music as you write (yes, classical music).

According to the results of a study, participants who listened to classical music, after feeling high levels of stress, recovered their normal levels of blood pressure and heart rate much faster, compared to participants who simply kept silent or listened to other types of music. music like Jazz or Pop.