5 Ways to Manage Stress
Stress affects all of us and costs us plenty. We lose productive time at work or school and experience strain on our relationships when we are stressed. It exacts a high price on our health, causing premature aging and leading to many diseases. It pays to know various ways to manage stress since we all have to deal with it in varying degrees. Good Stress vs. Bad Stress A certain amount of stress in your life is good. With no deadlines to meet, no pressure to pay your bills, or no expectations in your relationships, you would have an unsatisfying existence. Good stress helps us accomplish tasks on time, take responsibility for our obligations, and encourages us to be intentional in our relationships. A little bit of good stress is not harmful, but helpful. Bad stress, on the other hand, costs us more than it benefits us. There are different types of bad stress. Some stress comes to us without invitation. A tree falls on your house, your spouse is diagnosed with a chronic illness, or your extended family members stir up constant drama. These types of stressors can be managed even if they can’t be prevented. The other type of bad stress is preventable stress. If you are taking on the job of two people at work, that’s bad stress. If overspending each month breaks your budget, that’s also bad stress. If you procrastinate and then experience friction with your family, that’s another example of the type of stress you can prevent. You can learn ways to head off this kind of bad stress by changing your responses and behaviors. 5 Ways to Manage Stress You may not be able to prevent all stress in your life. But you can control your responses to stress and work to [...]
