Stress and Resilience

 10 Tips for Staying Strong in the Face of Stress

Stress is everywhere in our modern world, and it can be overwhelming to say the least. Whether you’re facing a big life change or trying to balance an insane workload, stress can easily take over your life if you let it. Luckily, we’ve compiled 10 simple tips that will help you keep your cool, even when everything else seems to be falling apart around you. Read on and learn how to stay strong in the face of stress!

1) Reach out to others

Let your friends and family know when you're struggling with stress. You don't have to carry all the weight on your own, and there's no shame in asking for help! It can be as simple as sitting down and chatting with a friend, or it could mean bringing up an idea at work or talking to your family doctor. Whatever might make you feel better, there are options. Be honest about what you need- even if that means not going out one night because you want to spend time decompressing and recharging instead. Practice self-care: Make sure you're eating well, getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, and spending some quality time doing something that makes you happy. Doing these things can actually prevent stress from happening in the first place! But they also make it easier to cope with stressful situations once they arise. Keep taking care of yourself, no matter how tough things get. Spend time with people who care about you: When you're stressed, sometimes your instinct is to withdraw and isolate yourself so that you can take care of everything by yourself. But this doesn't solve anything! Reach out to those who care about you so that they can help support you through this difficult time. Talk back: Is there someone or something that always seems to be trying to bring us down? Sometimes we just need a little reminder that we deserve more than our circumstances allow us right now- so say it loud! Speak up for yourself in the moment, speak kindly into their ears later, but never let them win without a fight!

2) Take breaks

Take frequent breaks during your workday to recharge your mind and body. When you notice yourself feeling stressed, step away from your work and do something else—even if only for a few minutes. Giving yourself this little time to let off some steam will give you a new perspective on what you're doing. It'll also make you more productive when you return to your task. The Pomodoro Technique is a time management technique that can help you stay focused and manage your stress levels at the same time. 

Break up large tasks into small chunks: Don't think about trying to tackle too many things at once. You may feel like it's just one big mess when it's all together, but breaking down large tasks into smaller ones will help keep you sane while getting them done! Practice deep breathing: Focus on taking deep breaths that go all the way down into your stomach rather than shallow breaths that only come up to your chest. Inhale through your nose and exhale slowly through your mouth. Be sure to fill your lungs with air by using the muscles around your ribs. If you start to feel overwhelmed, take three slow deep breaths in a row before continuing.

Smile (smiling can actually reduce feelings of stress): Put on a happy face! Studies have shown that smiling, even if you don't really feel like it, can help lower your stress levels. Plus, smiling is contagious! Maybe others will pick up on your mood and smile as well. And who doesn't want more smiles? A smile might just be the boost you need to get through the day.

3) Exercise your body and mind

Try a mindfulness meditation. A good place to start is by downloading apps like Headspace or finding books on guided meditations. Starting your day with 10 minutes of meditation will help you be more present and focused throughout the day, which will make it easier to avoid getting too overwhelmed by stress. With practice, you may also find that you can lower your anxiety levels simply by stopping to take three deep breaths before making any major decisions or responding to difficult interactions. It's important to remember that the most important thing is developing habits that work for you, so if 10 minutes of meditation doesn't do anything for you after some time, try something else! You might try writing down things on paper when they bother you so they don't continue bothering you all day long. The key point here is to develop an understanding of what makes you happy and healthy - there are many things out there that could make us happy but we need to figure out what works best for us as individuals. Once we know what makes us happy, it's much easier to focus on those things rather than feeling stuck under the weight of stress! We should also learn how to accept ourselves no matter what life throws at us. A lot of people feel bad about themselves because they compare themselves to others and think that everyone has it better than them. We have one life and sometimes we just need to remind ourselves how lucky we are for this one life. Remembering this will often lead people to have a sense of gratitude for everything around them; even the difficult moments will become easier when you realize how fortunate you really are.

4) Practice meditation

There are many different ways to practice meditation but perhaps the most common is called mindful breathing. This technique can be used anytime and anywhere, and can help you fight off stress no matter what it is that you are going through. To try this technique out, find a comfortable place to sit down. It is best if your back is erect but not stiff and it should feel like there is a natural curve from your lower back to your neck. Take slow deep breaths for five minutes without straining yourself, without rushing the inhale or exhale process. Simply try to match each breath with a count in your head, beginning at one and counting up as you breathe in and out. If you notice your mind wandering to other thoughts, then simply say thank you and let go of those thoughts. Do this for 5-10 minutes every day.

5) Give yourself credit when you do well

You may not feel like you deserve a pat on the back when you've accomplished something good. Start by giving yourself some credit, though. Instead of thinking about what's wrong with your performance or thinking that it was just luck, give yourself credit where credit is due. Imagine that you're cheering yourself on after accomplishing something difficult and ask how would you congratulate someone else if they were doing what you just did? Would you say good job! or think they did well? The simple act of recognizing your accomplishment can help to make sure it continues - try saying well done to yourself. Recognizing our accomplishments, however small they might seem at first, helps us believe we are capable of more and encourages us to keep going. Keep moving: Moving our bodies also helps move stress out of our minds and hearts so it's important to stay active even when we're feeling frazzled. Try running around the block or doing a dance video at home. Just five minutes spent being active releases endorphins which help us relax and brings down cortisol levels (the stress hormone). Get outside: Spending time outdoors also has been shown to reduce stress because nature offers therapeutic benefits that indoors cannot provide including reduced anxiety, decreased depression and improved moods according to the American Psychological Association.

6) Surround yourself with positive people

The people you choose to surround yourself with will make all the difference in your life. Choose friends and family who make you happy, think positively, care about your well-being, are supportive when things get tough, and encourage you to follow your dreams. These people can be hard to find sometimes--you'll need to be proactive and take some initiative. Start by eliminating negative people from your life (they might not seem like they're affecting you at first but these friends can start seeping into every aspect of your being). If they're worth your time then try talking it out with them--maybe they don't realize how negative their words are. But if that doesn't work, eliminate them. You deserve better than toxic friendships. Surround yourself with positivity! It's always easier to face a challenge when you know someone has your back.

7) Be grateful for what you have

Gratitude doesn't only improve your mood and outlook on life, it also prompts you to take action - as you're able to see what's going right. Grateful people have more healthful lifestyle habits, like spending time outdoors and eating healthier foods.

Writing this blog post has helped me recognize all of the many ways I've been given so much strength and resilience throughout my life. I'm grateful for all the times I've felt strong and capable, even when things got tough. It's moments like these that keep me going today, not matter what life throws at me. Knowing how to be resilient helps me continue moving forward with a smile on my face. 

While I may not know everything about how to stay strong through stress, I know that being grateful, trusting myself, and taking care of myself will help me feel brave enough to make it through anything.

8) Look at how far you’ve come

One of the best things about creating a blog is that you have a written record to look back on. It can be really interesting to look back and see how much you’ve come from, from day one when it may have felt so overwhelming. Even if you only wrote an introduction to your blog, take some time to look back on what you wrote and what has changed since then. You may be surprised at how far you’ve come and how much progress you’ve made! 

Tip #1:

 Be mindful - In order to cope with stress, we need to know what's happening in our bodies. Try paying attention to your breathing pattern and slowing down when necessary. 

Tip #2: 

Make a plan - Have you ever heard of eat-stop-eat? That's where someone will eat normally until they feel full or almost full, then they stop eating for 24 hours before going back to normal eating habits. You could also try setting up alarms on your phone that remind you when it's time for meals or other activities like taking medication or getting enough sleep; this will help avoid forgetting these important tasks and make sure you're sticking with them throughout the day. 

Tip #3: 

Stay hydrated - Drinking plenty of water is crucial for many different bodily functions, including fighting fatigue and headaches. 

Tip #4: 

Take care of yourself - Get plenty of rest, drink plenty of water, and exercise often to keep your body healthy! These are all excellent ways to de-stress. 

Tip#5: 

Keep calm - Meditation or yoga are great ways to keep calm in stressful situations 

Tip#6 (following tip): 

Ask for help 

Tip#7 (following tip): 

Use your support system 

Tip#8 (following tip): 

Say no 

Tip#9 (following tip): 

Practice self-compassion . If you find yourself beating yourself up over something, give yourself a break! Take five minutes to acknowledge what happened and get grounded again. The next step is to forgive yourself for the mistake or choice you've made and commit to not making that same mistake again in the future. Remember: forgiving ourselves is not about condoning bad behavior, but rather recognizing that mistakes happen and we can learn from them by making better choices next time around. 

Tip #10: 

Laugh as much as possible - Laughter really does make us healthier and happier! Whether it's watching funny movies or just cracking jokes with friends, laughter helps us deal with stress by releasing endorphins which provide positive emotional benefits such as improved moods and reduced pain sensitivity. It also boosts our immune systems and improves cardiovascular health. What's more, laughing releases tension in the face and jaw muscles, reducing tension levels and relieving pain. This means that laughing regularly could go a long way to combat chronic pain symptoms. 

Tip #11: 

Spend time outside - One of the simplest forms of relaxation is just to spend time outside. When you're surrounded by nature, you don't have to think about anything else and it offers a sense of peace and tranquility. 

Tip #12: 

Eat foods high in omega-3 fatty acids - Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids include walnuts, salmon, mackerel, flaxseed oil, soybeans, tofu and halibut fish oil supplements are available too.

9) Change your perspective – literally!

I'm sure you've heard this saying before, but perception is reality. So if you have a negative outlook on a situation and look at it as being difficult and strenuous, that's how it will seem. However, if you take your thoughts to a more positive route, anything can seem easier. Think about something that makes you happy. In fact, start smiling right now just to demonstrate how powerful an impact our perception has on our reactions.  

Believe it or not, adopting a more optimistic attitude has shown to increase levels of resilience and decrease perceptions of stress. Our sense-making abilities play an important role in our mental health as well – so knowing that things are going to get better after a setback is definitely comforting! We don't need to go into any further detail on what setbacks might be, because they happen to everyone sooner or later. But we should also know that there is always someone out there who has gone through what we're experiencing and come out stronger than ever before. We just need to find them. 

We may not be able to control all aspects of our lives all the time, but we can control how we react when certain events happen (or don't happen). Some simple ways you can do this include taking deep breaths, engaging in self-care rituals like listening to music or reading a book, reaching out for support from friends and family members (or seeking professional help), practicing gratitude by focusing on the positives instead of dwelling on negatives. All these things may seem small, but they're actually very powerful strategies to keep our moods up and stay strong. It may sound clichéd, but with knowledge comes power. And with power comes confidence; which means we'll be less likely to crumble under pressure.

10) Choose optimism over pessimism

We don't get to choose how we feel, but we do get to choose what thoughts and feelings we give credence to. Changing our thoughts will change our feelings. There is a lot of evidence that optimism can help us endure hardships better. When we choose optimism over pessimism, our self-talk becomes more accurate and reflects less distress, while not allowing stress to take over by minimizing it. 

When bad things happen, negative thoughts may be hard to shake because they're very logical. It's true that stress levels peak when you believe negative thoughts about what has happened or what could happen in the future if nothing changes. Just remember this—when you find yourself contemplating these negative thoughts, remind yourself that it's never too late for a fresh start. Yes, there are good days and bad days ahead. But as long as you stay optimistic, you'll always have a reason to try again tomorrow.