10 ways to stay peaceful in the face of daily stress

Daily stress is not just uncomfortable – it can also be harmful. When a person is under stress, their body produces stress hormones that trigger the ‘fight or flight’ response. Sometimes, this can be good since it can help in serious situations. Constant exposure to stress, however, can keep your body in that state all the time and negatively affect your health. To stop or at least limit this from happening, you need to stay peaceful in the face of daily stress. Something not easy to do, but manageable with these 10 ways.

Identify the stressors

The best way to understand why you are stressed out is to identify the thing making you feel that way. This so-called stressor can be anything or anyone from your environment you are exposed to daily. Even if you are unable to remove the stressor from your life, identifying it can allow you to build a strategy to deal with it and mitigate its negative effects. In a way, you will turn your stressor’s weaknesses into your strengths and take control of your situation.

Take one step at a time

Doing everything at once can overwhelm you and only add more stress to your plate. If you want to make a change in your life or deal with several stressors, slow down your efforts and take one step at a time. Your body and mind need time to get used to a new situation and to process everything that is happening in your life. Just give yourself a break, analyze where you stand and start resolving your issues one by one. That way, you will avoid chaos and be able to proceed to the next problem head-on.

Think things through

Think before you act! It’s not uncommon to get scared in moments of stress, panic, or make hasty decisions. If you know what makes you stressed then you can find ways to take care of it in a practical fashion. Sometimes, you already know what your root of stress may be before it shows up, so you can plan. Ask yourself what you would do if something potentially stressful happens and you will already solve half of your problem. This won’t always work since you can’t predict everything, but you will have a pretty good idea of some issues that can lead to daily stress.

Forget about ‘what ifs’

People often ask themselves ‘what if’ questions when under stress, believing that they made the wrong turn somewhere along the way. While being reflective can help you be cautious before future problems, blaming yourself for making the choices you did only leads to more stress. On the other hand, anticipating that something bad is going to happen can make you more frightened. Wondering ‘what if’ something bad happens will put you in a constant state of stress and panic. Instead, be pragmatic and concentrate on dealing with the valid facts to solve your situation in the best possible manner.

Trust your support system

Friends and family are a valuable resource to manage stress. They can comfort you, make you laugh, and provide an objective insight into your situation. In case you can’t turn to your closest ones for support, go to a professional. Psychological mentorship can show you different perspectives and help you find potential solutions. These professionals know how to tackle stress and avoid building on anxiety. Moreover, talking about your fears and problems out loud with someone who doesn’t judge may be the best support system to find a clear path to resolutions.

Limit your social media activities

Social media is a known cause of stress, depression, and anxiety. Watching other people showing off their best selves can be overwhelming and make you obsess about your life. It can make you build expectations that are not your own, but what you believe is right for you because of social media posts. While it’s hard to completely avoid social media, you can at least limit your presence there. Follow positive profiles with cute animals, babies, or funny clips. If someone is going on your nerves, hide, mute or even unfriend them, at least for a while.

Learn to meditate

Meditation is a helpful technique to control your stress and achieve calm. This is something you can either try by yourself with the help of books and videos or join a meditation class. If you think this is silly, try a different approach to meditation. Yoga pairs physical movement with breathing and meditating that can relax the body and mind during only one session. The first lesson is usually free so it will cost you almost nothing to go to your local yoga studio and give this method a shot.

Look on the bright side

When a person is under stress, the mind makes a thousand scenarios what can go wrong. This is normal since you are using your ‘fight or flight’ response to deal with the situation, but it is like fuel to the fire for your stress. Overthinking a situation is never productive and before you let your mind spiral out of control, take pen and paper to make a list of positive things. Your smartphone or laptop will also work, just don’t browse the Internet while you write down the positive scenarios to avoid disrupting your positive thoughts. Anything can matter and help you refocus your mind, no matter how small it is, so don’t leave anything out.

Find ways to relax

One of the best ways to deal with stress is to relax. This is more than a weekly visit to the spa or mani-pedis. You need something you can have access to every day and whenever you feel like it, like a reliable leg massager that will mimic the hands of professional massage therapists. When you relax, the body releases dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin – the feel-good hormones. They will help you stay positive and push through any stress you are exposed to daily. Make sure to treat yourself with a weekend away camping, hiking, and spending time in nature since sometimes it’s better to be away from the stress to have a fresh look at the whole situation.

Take care of yourself

Physical activity boosts the production of feel-good hormones like endorphins, which are efficient in fighting stress. Half an hour of moderate exercise every day will help you clear your head and be more focused on solving the problem, not irrationally obsessing over it. Moreover, you will feel better about yourself and more energized to deal with stress. The best way is to start your day with a light workout or yoga to wake up your brain and build positive thought patterns right early on in the day. If this is not an option, walking or riding a bicycle to work will also work. After work gym sessions or aerobics classes are also great ways to loosen up and eliminate the negative energy that piled up during the day.

In the end

There is no magical solution to stress. Instead of trying to make it go away, you need to learn to live with it and manage it so it doesn’t affect you. Start by trying one of these ways to stay peaceful when exposed to daily stress. If it works, proceed to the next item on the list and don’t stop until you tried them all. It will help you find the best way to deal with your stress and stop it from disrupting your life.