In my blog on the key elements of a healthy lifestyle, I included proper stress management on the list. If you want to stay healthy, you must know how to properly handle and manage stress.
Medical studies show that stress has a huge impact on overall health. It can trigger not only emotional but also physical instability. Extreme amounts of stress can have serious effects on the immune, cardiovascular, neuroendocrine, and central nervous systems.
Inevitably, we face numerous stressful circumstances every day. Commuting to work is one thing, but heavy traffic is another challenge altogether.
Our Job Could Cause Stress
I’ve been working full-time for 20 years. Don’t get me wrong—I’m not complaining.
Having a job is a blessing, and I am truly grateful. My needs are sustained, and I can help out with my family’s needs as well. I took up this job because I loved it and enjoyed it.
However, after 10 years, things have changed. The normal 8-hour duty has become 12 hours, which I’ve gotten used to. The 12-hour shifts now occur almost regularly, especially during Ramadan, when non-Muslim coworkers cover the remaining hours.
This setup has become exhausting, and I feel like I’m spending more time working for others than enjoying life.
Do you know what that feels like? Terrible!
Our Passion Could Be a Source of Stress
Even the things we love and are passionate about can become sources of stress. It’s been almost two months since I signed up with Wealthy Affiliate. It was all fun and exciting for the first two to three weeks—until it was time to put everything I’d learned into action.
Building my own website felt incredible. Customizing it according to my preferences and adding the necessary frameworks was thrilling. This was all new to me, so finally having my own platform for blogs and articles felt like a great blessing.
However, I discovered that the most challenging part was writing content. This isn’t just about writing anything; it’s about creating relevant and engaging content. During the first six weeks, I worked extremely hard on this. While outsourcing was an option, I wanted to challenge myself first.
But I found myself stressing out a lot. I pushed myself too hard, sacrificing my spare time to work on my website. Though I had a full-time job, I still used to have time for household chores, TV series, and other activities.
Now, with two websites in different niches, the workload has become overwhelming. Stress is starting to take a toll on me.
The Adverse Effects of Stress
I’m pretty sure many of you can relate. Though the causes of our stress may differ, we can all agree that it’s not something we want to endure forever.
Since juggling my websites and the demanding hours of my job, I’ve stopped eating and sleeping properly. I’ve lost my appetite, weight, and energy. I’ve become moody and irritable. Worse, I don’t recognize myself anymore.
The things I used to enjoy, like my job, have become burdensome. It’s ironic to write about staying healthy when I’m not following my own advice.
Indeed, stress is a silent killer.
How to Properly Manage Stress
Finding positive and healthy ways to manage stress can significantly reduce its negative impact on our health.
Today, I decided to slow down and find time to relax and enjoy life. My biggest worry is that if I keep this pace, I might lose myself or fall seriously ill.
Here are some ways to manage stress effectively:
1. Identify the Sources of Stress
Take time to reflect on what’s causing stress in your life. Is it your job, personal relationships, or financial worries? Once identified, work on reducing or eliminating these stressors where possible.
For instance, delegate tasks at work or have open conversations to resolve relationship conflicts.
2. Manage Your Time Better
A balanced schedule helps minimize stress.
Prioritize your tasks, create a to-do list, and avoid overcommitting yourself. Make sure to allocate time for work, family, social activities, and personal time so you don’t feel overwhelmed.
3. Make Time for Fun and Relaxation
It’s essential to engage in activities that bring you joy, whether it’s reading, gardening, or pursuing a hobby.
Taking a break from your daily grind allows your mind and body to recharge, helping you face challenges with a fresh perspective.
4. Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle
A well-balanced diet, regular exercise, and proper sleep are crucial for managing stress. Exercise releases endorphins, which improve your mood, while nutritious meals and adequate rest keep your body resilient to stress.
5. Build a Support System
Having a strong support network can make a world of difference when you’re stressed. Whether it’s friends, family, or colleagues, confiding in someone you trust can alleviate the burden.
Talking about your problems can offer relief and new perspectives.
6. Practice Mindfulness and Meditation
Mindfulness helps you stay present and focused, letting go of distractions. Regular meditation can clear your mind and reduce physical symptoms of stress.
Deep breathing exercises and progressive muscle relaxation can also promote calmness and emotional well-being.
7. Learn to say No
Setting healthy boundaries is crucial. Don’t be afraid to decline requests that drain your time and energy. Prioritize tasks that align with your values and well-being, and practice saying no when necessary.
8. Engage in Creative Expression
Creative activities like writing, painting, or cooking can be incredibly therapeutic. These activities not only provide a productive outlet for emotions but also give your mind a break from daily stressors.
9. Seek Professional Help if Needed
If stress feels overwhelming and starts affecting your daily life, consider consulting a therapist or counselor. They can help you identify triggers and develop effective coping strategies. Seeking professional help is a proactive step toward recovery.
10. Have Faith and Trust in God
Spiritual well-being can be a strong source of comfort during tough times. Take time to pray, meditate, or reflect. Knowing that there’s a higher power looking out for you can provide peace and strength to overcome life’s challenges.
Closing Thoughts
Stress is a part of life, but it doesn’t have to control us.
We can significantly reduce its impact on our well-being by identifying its sources and adopting healthy management techniques.
From building a strong support system to practicing mindfulness and seeking professional help when needed, there are countless ways to take charge of stress.
Remember, your health and happiness matter more than any job or obligation. Prioritize your well-being, set boundaries, and embrace a balanced lifestyle.
Stress might be a silent killer, but with the right tools, you can silence it instead.
Take charge, make changes, and create a life where you can thrive—because you deserve it.
HI there,
I am a firm believer in the body-mind connection, meaning that if your mind is riddled with stress then it leaves the body more prone to sickness and disease. Therefore, it’s important to ensure that we take time out of our day everyday to destress. I like how you pointed out that even things we enjoy doing can create stress because I think most people (including me) automatically think about work when we hear the word ‘stress’, when really our hobbies can contribute to it as well.
Hey Krystal,
De-stressing is something we all should learn to do in order to become more effective and productive. No matter how hectic our schedule is and the loads of work we need to finish, we must take some time to unwind and recharge. Stress is almost always work-related, however, it can also be caused by other factors such as the things we love to do and enjoy.
First off, I just want to say that I admire your perseverance through the stressful times in life and I wish you most peace, prosperity, and stress-free future! I am in your shoes, too, where I am trying hard to make the shift to creating my own hours and have financial freedom through WA. I’ve been working so hard for so many years in a broken system where a Master’s degree doesn’t hold as much weight in terms of how much money you can make! It’s definitely been stressful trying to make ends and pay the bills while trying to maintain a balanced life. I can relate– life can bring lots of stressful circumstances because our world is not so simple anymore. This has affected my well-being, moods, and overall health for sure. I’ve been coping through yoga, meditation, and journal-writing. Thank you for sharing your insight and I wish you the most success in your journey!
Hi Ciara, thank you for your encouraging comment. You’re right, we all go through stressful times but we have to be able cope and manage it the right way. I also thought a degree would be enough to make a decent living but there will be times when we feel like what we’re doing is never enough.
I wish us both success through WA.
This is a very necessary post for many different reasons, we all can relate to being stressed from a lot of situations but we really don’t consider the effects that being stressed causes. I seem to be stressed all the time, I don’t get enough sleep or eat a balanced diet so I really glad to have this reminder of how bad stress can be on our body and in our social life.
Hi Aldane, thank you for finding my post necessary. Yes, we all get stressed out for several reasons and it affects our overall health. Sometimes our stress comes from things that are not really important and do not impact our lives as much as other things. However, we can always choose to properly manage it. I believe that finding a balance between our activities is the key to being stress-free. I hope you’ll be able to manage your stress more effectively as I am doing today.
Hey there! I’m really stressed out on my job. I’m thinking of finding a new job online where I don’t have a boss. I’m stress to my working environment and to my boss and I’m thing to cut that stress. I read your article and I think that wealthy affiliate is a great online job. Do you think that joining wealthy affiliate will reduce my stress? Is it worth the money I saved and the time that I’m going to spend time with?
Hi John, Wealthy Affiliate is a great platform for aspiring online entrepreneurs as it teaches almost everything you need to know from starting out and succeeding in your business. Does it guarantee that you’ll be stress-free? It will still depend on you. In my case, I found myself stressing out because I was trying to fit everything into my hectic schedule. I am always anxious thinking of the next blog that I’m going to publish. I forgot that I also need to do the other things that I love; that I also need some time off. My point here is that, we need a balance between our activities. We need to always find time to relax, be with the people we liove and spend time with God.
It’s the same thing with our full time job. We’re stressed out because we can’t find a balance between our responsibilities at work and the things we like to do. Work can be fun sometimes, it just depends on how we look at it. Can you go full time with your online business? Most definitely! But we have to be reminded that it’s not magic, it’s not get-rich scheme. We need to put in the work, time and some cash. Every business needs all three anyway.
So if you’re thinking of starting an online business, I recommend you start with Wealthy Affiliate, it’s a great online training platform.