How To Be Less Stressed – A Guide To Promote Inner Peace

In today’s modern world there are more potential causes of stress than there has ever been.

We all experience stress in one form or another in our lives. The most common of these being: Moving house, changing jobs, marriage, divorce, and bereavement.

With the introduction of the internet our lives have changed in so many ways. In great ways like being able to communicate more easily then ever with distant relatives and friends. Having more access to information than we though possible.

It also comes with some downsides. The work environment has also changed and become much faster paced. We are constantly connected so we are effectively on call from work, never being able to fully relax in case there is an issue.

Social media forcing a multitude of varied opinions and trends down our throats, controversial beliefs we are forced to silently (and stressfully) adopt against our will, unless we risk the wrath of social justice.

To lead a less stressful life we need to eat a healthy diet and avoid comfort food, which is often junk food. We need to be able to switch off from our jobs. We need to focus on calmer things and adopt pastimes or hobbies than can shift our focus to more sedate thought patterns. We need to control how much stress we take on as well.

Let’s run through the steps we can take to reduce our stress points and give us that inner peace we deserve:

Learn to say no

One of the biggest reasons for stress is the amount of stress we take on in any given day. Being too soft can often put you in a position where you constantly add extra work to your already overloaded schedule which creates more stress unduly.

Take the time to muster your self control and resolve when someone asks you to do something you really cannot take on. Explain the reasons why and be firm with them.

If your manager is making the request advise them that you are feeling incredibly pressured and stressed (in writing via email preferably so you have a record). If they insist, tell them that you will do your best but you are already over your work limit so something else will fall to one side.

If you do this then they may find it hard to deliberately overwork you and cause you undue stress. You may be able to get HR to intervene in this matter.

If it’s a family member or friend then be firm too. It’s often harder to say no to a family member but explain how you are feeling and that their request is more likely to increase your stress.

Avoid procrastinating

Quite often when we are feeling stressed we retreat into ourselves and form a kind of hermit in a turtle shell mentality. We become apathetic and cannot find motivation to do things.

If you find yourself becoming a couch potato then give yourself a shake and get up. grab a pen and paper and make a list of the things that need doing and are causing you to become stressed.

Pick a couple of easy items on the list and get them done. When you have cross them off and look at the list again. Focus on the finished items.

Your brain will let you know that you are making headway on your list and you will feel a little better about the list after seeing it shrink.

Tackling all the small jobs can leave you feeling accomplished and ready to tackle some of the medium to large things that need doing. Don’t forget to acknowledge your progress.

Eating less Trigger foods

When we feel stressed it’s common for us to resort to grabbing something to make us feel better.

Try to avoid items that contain caffeine like cola and chocolate. Caffeine is a stimulant which if you are suffering with stress don’t want to make any stronger.

Nicotine is another stimulant you should be looking to avoid. Not only because it’s highly addictive but the effects of it are short lasting leading to withdrawal symptoms which will make you feel extremely irritable.

Sugar should also be avoided as the sugar can give you a rush followed by a crash which can leave you feeling tired and irritable.

Avoid alcohol. Alcohol is a depressant under normal circumstances but if you drink just a small amount it can act as a stimulant.

Drink plenty of water instead of sugary or alcoholic drinks to keep your body hydrated and healthy.

Relaxing pastimes

Taking up a hobby or engaging in something you find interesting can help you manage your stress.

If you are heavily focused on something you have a passion for and find rewarding then you are much less likely to feel stress when taking part in it.

Hobbies and pastimes can take many forms, some are more intellectual like an interest in Egyptian history. They may be a bit more practical like woodworking or may even be social like playing board games.

Whatever you do make sure it’s something you are very interested in or love. When you happy doing something stress will decrease greatly.

Sleep

Getting enough sleep is very important. If you are stressed then you are more likely to lost sleep or wake up often in the night. This broken, lack of sleep can cause you be under perform at work and not be as focused.

This can then add to your stress even more if you feel like you be fall behind with your workload.

To get a good night’s sleep switch off your gadgets at least an hour before going to bed to give you a chance to decompress and relax. Maybe drink a glass of milk as the chemicals in milk can make you drowsy.

Keep the room on the cool side and get under the blankets. This can be soothing and help you maintain a consistent level of sleep throughout the night so you wake up feeling refreshed.

Talk it out

Letting people know how you feel is recommended. If you feel a little stressed than chatting with family and friends can help. If your stress is more severe then go see your doctor and they will be able to help.

Sometimes just sharing your feelings with someone who understands and empathizes can be enough to make you realize you are not in this on your own.

In conclusion:

As men we are often made to feel like the beasts of burden. To be able to do everything no matter how difficult or how much we have to do. We are also expected to shoulder these burdens with no complaint or displeasure.

Sadly for us men, we take on more than we can handle but we also feel embarrassed or ashamed to ask for help when it gets too much. We need to accept we are only human and we too need help at times. So if you are feeling like you have too much stress in your life, look for ways to reduce it and if you can’t, seek assistance from someone who can.