When we were younger, our lives seemed to be stress-free. We could go do anything we wanted: play with our friends, run around on the playground, and more, living a blissful and stressless life. Unfortunately, as we have aged, those stress-free years seem like a distant memory, replaced with a stressful present. Though there are some merits of stress, such as keeping our brains alert and active, research concludes that the importance is distinguishing between what is “good” and “bad” stress. Only when we determine what negative stress looks like in our lives can we then combat it.
What is “bad stress”?
To answer this critical question, we must first determine what “good stress” is. Good stress, also known as eustress, is the type of stress we feel when we’re excited: bursts of energy, a surge in hormones, quickening of the pulse, all without threat or fear.
On the other hand, bad stress leaves you feeling jittery, anxious, and on edge. The United Kingdom Mental Health Foundation defines harmful stress as the feeling of being overwhelmed or unable to cope with pressure. Common signs of bad stress include feeling anxious, frustrated, or afraid. The signs of bad stress can also extend to physical indicators, including headaches, shallow breathing, and hair loss as found by the Mayo Clinic.
Understanding and paying attention to these mental and physical indicators of stress are important for your ability to know when you’re surrounding yourself with too many stressors. While understanding what bad stress is needed to destress your life, knowing how to combat and reduce stress is equally important.
How can you reduce your stress?
Although everyone has their advice and method for destressing, here are a few tried and true ways to destress your life.
1. Decrease your workload.
Decreasing your workload is one of the biggest ways to combat school or work-related stress. Rather than putting too many things on your plate at once, try to focus on only a handful of tasks at a time. This can help you not feel overwhelmed and could even increase your focus and detail on the task at hand.
2. Incorporate relaxation into your daily routine.
Introducing something simple and relaxing into your routine can help you take some time to take a break and not focus on any stressors. Doing something simple like allotting yourself thirty minutes for watching a show, putting on a face mask, or taking out the dogs for a walk can help to clear your mind and center yourself.
3. Declutter and organize your space.
Oftentimes, what our surrounding environment looks like is a reflection of our headspace. Decluttering your workspace, introducing natural lighting, or even buying new furniture can help you turn your environment into one suitable for less stressful work. Introducing new pieces that can help brighten your space, such as ecologically friendly baskets from Du Anyam can help you create a clean and minimal space.
While different methods work for different people, these three methods can hopefully help you take steps towards destressing your life.
Destressing your life is important to create a sustainable lifestyle and a positive mind. By understanding and then destressing your life, you can take steps towards eliminating stressors and focusing on your life goals.
Source:
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/s/stress
https://www.bjceap.com/blog/ArtMID/448/ArticleID/23/Good-Stress-Bad-Stress-Is-There-a-Difference