Coping with Stress

There are times when we feel very stressed. It could be due to deadlines at work, arguments at home or you just have too much going on! Feeling stressed makes you restless, worried, irritated and sometimes even angry. So what is the right thing to do at that time? Is there anything you can do to feel better quickly?

Here's how you can cope with stress

Engaging in physical activities such as walking, skipping, jogging or cycling trigger the release of hormones known as endorphins. The release of these hormones makes you feel relaxed and is even effective in reducing pain.

Other ways to cope with stress include laughing, to increase the level of feel-good hormones or even a simple relaxation technique like deep breathing which helps reduce the production of stress hormones.

You could also try going outside, this exposes your body to sunlight and gives you a vitamin D and energy boost. Something as simple as talking about the problem gives you a chance to get support from others and helps you to see the problem in a different light.

While there are healthy ways to cope with stress, there are unhelpful habits you could engage in to cope with stress. They might provide immediate relief but they could be harmful for your physical and emotional well-being in the long run.

Activities like drinking alcohol or regular caffeine consumption can make you tired and agitated, worsening negative feelings that you feel as a result of a stressful situation.

Under certain circumstances, stress can make you withdraw from daily activities and situations. While this might protect you from the stressful situation, avoiding the problem can make it worse in the long run. As a result of withdrawing from social settings, you might choose to not speak with a loved one about what you are feeling. However, speaking with a close friend or someone you trust can help you cope better with the situation.

Another unhelpful habit is avoiding your problems which prevents you from processing or understanding the problem. Pacing, nail biting, and chewing your lip are habits that offer momentary relief from stress. However these habits are not only only harmful but also fail to address the real problem.

When stress gets too difficult to manage on your own, you can talk to Allie, your Relief Bot, accessible from the Dashboard.