For the first time in 10 years, stress levels are on the rise. An expert shares some simple tips on how to manage everyday stress.
Some simple ways to manage the stress of everyday life (草莓传媒's Rachel Nania)
WASHINGTON 鈥� For the first time in 10 years, stress levels are on the rise.
A recent study from the American Psychological Association shows that despite a gradual decrease in stress since 2006, between August 2016 and January 2017.
A number of sources are to blame for the increase in anxiety, including the current political climate, money, work and even . And while all of these triggers may be inescapable, Teri Harbour, a stress management instructor at Frederick Community College and creator of the , says there are some simple ways to better manage stress on a day-to-day basis.
Just breatheThis advice may sound pretty simple, but Harbour says breathing is the first forgotten fundamental when tensions are running high. 鈥淲e often chest-breathe when we鈥檙e stressed and we get through our whole day and we realize, 鈥極h, I didn鈥檛 really take a deep breath all day,鈥欌�� she said. Harbour suggests taking a break for a few minutes every few hours to close your eyes and breathe deeply. This exercise can even be done at your desk.鈥淚t brings in the feel-good chemicals and it really does relax us, if you just take a moment to do that, and it gives us that moment to pause. When we鈥檙e breathing, it鈥檚 just that little tiny reprieve from the chaos. It feels really good,鈥� Harbour said. 聽
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Use your imagination Harnessing the power of the imagination isn鈥檛 just child鈥檚 play. Harbour says creative thinking enables one to see things from a different angle. Visualizing the best can put a positive spin on an otherwise stressful situation. 鈥淲e so often use our imagination to worry and to fear. Let鈥檚 flip that around to use it to envision the best and to seek out the positive,鈥� Harbour said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to feel better if we鈥檙e doing that. We鈥檙e going to have less stress; we鈥檙e going to be fortified against the stress that鈥檚 coming at us.鈥�
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Thinkstock
Detach If you鈥檙e feeling overwhelmed, detach yourself from the situation. Harbour says not to confuse detachment with lack of caring or indifference. Rather, it鈥檚 simply not getting too caught up in material reality 鈥渁nd other people鈥檚 dramas.鈥� 鈥淲e鈥檙e choosing to get a little bit of distance so that we can think clearly because stress limits our peripheral vision. When we鈥檙e stressed, our bodies are designed to just focus on the stressor,鈥� she explained. 鈥淲hen we鈥檙e [detaching], we have a wider vision. We can see our options better; we have more creative problem-solving ability.鈥� 聽
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Thinkstock
惭辞惫别听A little bit of muscle movement can work wonders during a stressful situation. Don鈥檛 worry: There鈥檚 no need to train for a marathon. A few slow stretches at your desk, a quick walk around the office or the use of a stress ball can help relieve built-up tension. 聽
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Thinkstock
Take a break from the screenConsuming minute-by-minute news and information from all over the world can take its toll on one鈥檚 emotional and physical well-being. 鈥淲ith the digital age, we are living a very fast-paced life, and I think stress affects everyone more today than ever before because things are so instant with technology,鈥� Harbour said. 鈥淚t can be very overwhelming and we sometimes don鈥檛 even realize how stressful it is.鈥� When you don鈥檛 need to be on your phone or in front of your computer, put it away. Some experts suggest designating a 鈥渘o screen time鈥� block of time in the evenings after work. 聽
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Thinkstock
Write down your goals and check in If you find yourself unhappy with a work or life situation, set some goals for where you want to be. Then, check in with yourself regularly on your progress toward achieving those goals. 聽鈥淎sk yourself on a daily basis, 鈥業s what I鈥檓 doing right now getting me closer to my goal, or is it getting me further away?鈥欌�� Harbour said. 鈥淲e spend a lot of our time just putting out fires all day, and then we realize at the end of the day, or even unfortunately, at the end of our lives, we didn鈥檛 really do what we wanted to do.鈥� 聽
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Thinkstock
Practice makes perfect Harbour says the more you practice the aforementioned stress-management skills, the easier time you鈥檒l have when faced with a stressful situation. 鈥淲e have neural pathways in our brain that are entrenched, depending on whatever behaviors we do over and over … and so those become our habits, our default habits,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hen we鈥檙e stressed, we just rely on our default habits. We don鈥檛 think clearly when we鈥檙e stressed. It takes a lot of practice to change a habit, so the more we do these types of activities, the more healthier ways of being will become our default habits.鈥� 聽
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