Switch Stress Off in 4 Easy Steps

Author: Thebig Yogi

Nature designed stress as a response to adverse situations and help you cope with them. But stress is a big part of the modern lifestyle. It begins with waking up to the shrieking morning alarm to being unable to sleep at night.

You may feel that there is stress everywhere and the body and mind react accordingly. From a racing heart to sweaty palms, stress can prevent you from going about your life normally.

Stress usually manifests in 3 stages –

  • It begins with ‘Alarm’ and involves physical reactions, such as increased heart rate and sweating and psychological reactions, such as fear or anxiety.
  • The next stage is ‘Resistance’ where you try to overcome the effects of the stressor. If you are not able to resolve the stressor, the body keeps producing the stress hormone – cortisol which results in lack of sleep, anxiety, even poor cognitive functioning.
  • Exhaustion’ follows when a stressor becomes chronic due to continued exposure or ineffective attempts to deal with it.

The end result is a sense of overwhelm and finally, ‘Burnout’. Burnout is characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and a sense of inefficiency and inadequacy.

Here are the top telltale signs of chronic stress and the possibility of burnout.

  • a feeling of being disillusioned
  • frequent and easy loss of temper
  • poor appetite and lack of sleep
  • feeling drained of all energy
  • unexplainable chronic aches and pains

All these may negatively impact your personal and professional life.

Switch Stress Off in 4 Easy Steps
  • List your personal stressors

Writing the stressors down can help you look at them more objectively and make them less overwhelming and more manageable by externalization. You are not the stressor, you are simply facing it.

  • Differentiate between stressors

Think of which ones you can change and which ones you can’t. For a stressor that can’t be changed, ask how you might bring a change in your perspective about it. Think how you can turn a problem into a challenge that can be overcome.

  • Take one small step

You may need to do many things to address the stressor, but what is the first, however small, thing you would do. Set a time to start and finish doing it.

  • Ask for help

Who or what can help you overcome these stressors? For example, if there is a problem at work, think of people who don’t have that problem. Ask them for advice or tips. Check the Internet for solutions.

Learn powerful yet simple stress management tools, such as mindfulness with The Big Yogi in San Francisco. Find out what other resources you need and where you can access them.

Pickup things that you loved but stopped doing because of the stress, such as painting or going for a jog every morning. Do not set big goals. Do one thing at a time.

For meditation classes and private yoga classes, get in touch with the leading stress coach online in San Francisco, The Big Yogi, Nick Palladino, at nick@thebigyogi.com or call 707-293-5415. Nick inspires, teaches and leads others towards their own light and life purpose. You can choose from several options – Nick’s one-on-one private lessons or on-site corporate classes to bring mindfulness and stress-relief to your office as an advanced teacher comes to you.