The ABC of Effective Stress Management

Have you ever noticed how hard it is to relax and be happy when you’re stressed out? It’s that constant everyday stress that’s robbing you of your health, happiness and peace of mind that I’m talking about here.nnWhile there are many stress management techniques that claim to reduce the stress of the frustrating pressures you face at work or in life, most only touch the surface. nnThe secret is to not only treat the symptoms of stress but to eliminate the cause.nnThere are some great stress management skills that are easy to learn and simple to use that will help you to get rid of what causes stress in your life. nnHere’s a good question for you: How do you know if you’re really happy? Is happiness something that you choose or is it a destination you’re waiting to arrive at? nnIf it is something that can only happen when you achieve a particular goal then you’re making your life harder than it needs to be.nnWhile setting goals are essential to improving the quality of your life, they have nothing to do with happiness. You see, happiness is a way of life. nnIt is an emotional state that you have the power to choose anytime and anywhere you like no matter what circumstances you find yourself in.nnGranted there are going to be times when ever part of your mind and body is screaming at you that you’ll never find happiness, peace or joy in your life again. nnI know because I’ve been in that place many times in the past. During these times it often feels like no amount of stress management is ever going to work.nnThe great news is that if a hard headed self-confessed workaholic like me can learn stress management skills that helped me to choose more happiness, health and calmness in my life, I’m pretty sure you can too! nnWhile I’ve spent years studying stress management techniques, reading stress management articles and undertaking stress management activities to learn how to eliminate the causes of stress it really boils down to a two step process that anyone can follow.nnStep 1 - The ABC of EffectiveStress Management nnBefore you can eliminate the cause of stress you must first of all manage your daily stressors. Your body and feelings are the first place to check-in with to achieve this. nnThe moment any excess pressure happens in your life your body will almost tense up, your breathing will be shallower and you become more emotionally reactive.nn3 simple secrets to counteract these symptoms and gain strong stress management skills.nnA – Acknowledge what you ARE feeling! nnBy recognizing what you are feeling and allowing it to be there without judgment is the first step to letting it go. If you’re feeling frustrated, upset, angry or hurt then just say to yourself, “I’m OK, I’m just feeling frustrated, etc”.nnB- Breathe! nnTake several slow, deep breaths right down into your belly if you can, the slower the better. This helps to clear your mind and relax your body. Imagine with each breath out that you are releasing tension from your body. Often times just doing this is enough to feel calmer and more in control.nnC- Choose your response. nnStressful situations often cause us to say or do things we later regret. By doing part A&B you’ll have more control over what you say and how you act no matter what circumstance you are in. nnIf it is another person that is pushing your buttons it is even more important to be in control of your responses. You can either respond to the world around you with power or react and give your power away. There is not other choice.nnStep – 2 How to Eliminate the Causes of StressnnThis is all about changing habits. You may have heard the saying you can change your life by changing your habits. Well, guess what? It’s absolutely true. nnAll the stress management tips in the world are useless if you don’t apply them. The fact is that everyone has stressful events happen in their life which they don’t have control over. nnWhat then makes the difference between 2 people who have the same stressful situations happening but only 1 of them stay calm and shakes it off. nnThe difference is in how you handle it. That’s why it’s important to find at least 1 stress management technique that works for you and then use it constantly. nnThe really good ones will help you build new habits that promote increased calmness, happiness and peace of mind. nnThere are many stress management techniques you can learn that will do this for you. The one that I have shared above is one of the best. All it takes is practice. nnThe more you use it, the easier it gets until eventually you will find that you will attract less and less into your life to get stressed out about. Why? Because that’s the way life works. nnIt takes 21 days to break old habits that keep stress hanging around and make new habits that attract more happiness and peace of mind. If you start using a stress management technique today in just three weeks you can have a whole new life.nnTo Your Great Life and Health...