So much of modern life involves stress and pressure, and indeed some stress is good. It keeps us on our toes and elevates our levels of thinking and creativity. But too much stress or no respite from it is ultimately problematic and can be dangerous to our health and well-being.
Many of us find that there are many demands made upon us, with too little time to complete all the things that we need to do each day. Whether it be work, family or personal arrangements there is often an excess of things that need to be fitted into too little time. This can cause worry, a requirement to work longer hours or feeling that there is little choice but to cut back on meals, sleeping or free time. Finding a healthy work/life balance can in itself be a cause of stress.
Let’s look at 3 ways to unwind:
- Schedule some time to do things that you enjoy and that you’re good at. Whatever your position, work is often a challenging environment. There may be targets and deadlines to meet, a requirement to justify your salary and ongoing pressure to continue to improve your performance. Stress can be alleviated by making time to do things that give you pleasure, that you are good at and where you feel satisfaction at what you’ve achieved. Whether it be a hobby, a sport or a particular talent that you take time to nurture and develop, having an area of your life where you feel good, positive and successful is a constructive way to unwind, improve your health and reduce stress.
- Mix with people who like you for yourself. Having people around who want nothing from you and accept you as you are is important. Children and animals have no qualms about rushing up to people whom they like. Having people who feel that way about you, enjoy being with you and who treat you with affection is a comfortable way to relax, unwind and reduce stress levels. When there is no requirement to think before you speak or consider how you dress, behave or present yourself you can feel at ease in simply being yourself.
- Ensure you have some regular quiet time for yourself. Personal time is important, even if you do nothing with it. Reading a book, painting a picture, having a relaxing bath are lovely ways to unwind. Simply pleasing yourself on occasion is important, whether you go for a walk in the country or just catch up on programmes you have been meaning to watch, having some indulgent ‘me’ time is important. It may be possible to give yourself a break, park your car for ten minutes and enjoy a relaxing piece of music. Plan to incorporate some quiet ‘me’ time into your day or week and make an important commitment to yourself.
Look at the different areas of your life and find ways to support yourself and your health by adding a break, fun or positive interests. By doing this you regain some control over the way you spend your time, learn to unwind and as a consequence, reduce stress.
Susan Leigh is a Counsellor and Hypnotherapist who works with stressed individuals to promote confidence and self belief, with couples in crisis to improve communications and understanding and with business clients to support the health and motivation levels of individuals and teams.
Further help, advice and articles are available.