By Bob Grimson
Special to The Citizen

Stress is becoming more prevalent in all of our lives. If not dealt with properly, it can make your days miserable and spill over to affect those around you. Whatever the cause, there are proven ways to deal with your stress and keep it from taking over your life.

Start by trying a relaxation technique such as deep breathing, meditation or stretching exercises. These can be done almost anywhere. Repeat a calming phrase or word when you start feeling angry and stressed. Use a relaxing mental image to calm yourself. Try to recall a pleasant experience or place. These can all help you relax and reduce stress. Sometimes locations can trigger stress. If that’s the case, take a break for a few minutes and step away from the situation and the place until you’ve calmed down.

A good way to combat stress is to not take yourself too seriously. Use humor to counteract anger. Also, don’t keep emotions and feelings bottled up. When you do this, fears and frustrations can get blown out of proportion. Getting these thoughts and feelings out in the open can help reduce stress and perhaps even help you find better ways of dealing with situations. Try talking things out with a trusted friend, family member or a mental health professional.

If you find yourself in a tense conversation, slow down and think through your responses before you say them. Don’t say the first thing that pops into your mind.

Listen carefully to what the other person is saying before you respond. Don’t jump to an inaccurate conclusion or act on an incorrect assumption.

Being unprepared also causes people stress. Think and plan things through and practice situations so you’re better prepared. If you know what may cause the problems, you can take steps to avoid or minimize them before they occur.

Stress can take a serious toll on physical health and mental well-being. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, try some of these tips and start getting the best of your stress.

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