In the modern world, especially these days, we are all familiar with stress in some form or another. And unfortunately, many of us are under a lot of stress all the time. Unfortunately, chronic stress can have some very negative effects and take a significant toll on physical and mental health. Stress can quickly lead to immune, digestive, psychological, cardiovascular, sleep, and reproductive issues, and when left unchecked, can donate to severe health conditions like depression, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and a lot more.
The promising news is if we can better manage our stress and protect ourselves from its harmful consequences. A simple stress management plan can give us strategies and habits that we can learn to adapt, modify, and become more resilient to stress over time.
Studies From The American Institute of Stress Show:
- 77% of Americans regularly experience physical symptoms caused by stress
- 48% of people report having trouble sleeping due to stress
- 54% of Americans claim stress caused a fight between loved ones
Stress affects our whole body. It leads to memory loss, concentration problems, and a lack of sleep. Stress wreaks havoc on the digestive system. It strains cardiovascular health can cause severe depression, weight loss or gain. It’s difficult, and for some people impossible, to get rid of stress in their lives without help. Acupuncture is a great alternative to pills and medications in controlling how you manage stress and lead healthier lives.
Stress Management Techniques That Can Really Help
You might wonder, do stress management tools really do anything to help? The answer is yes! Lots of research has shown that various stress management techniques work well in helping us skillfully respond to stressful situations and protect ourselves from the adverse effects of stress.
Here are a few tools that can make a big difference:
- Mindfulness-Based Techniques
- Acupuncture Therapy
- Focusing On Deep Breathing Techniques
- Progressive Muscle Relaxation
- Guided Imagery
- Music (432 hz)
- Working Out, Running, or Cycling
- Prayer & Meditation
Why Do We Need a Plan?
Any change in our lives takes intention, commitment, and a focused effort to create habits. This is where a stress management plan comes in. Suppose we try to make a change without a plan. In most cases, most people will be less likely to create habits that will make a difference. Likely fumbling around trying a few things with no real concentrating effort resulting in no real direction—quickly feeling lost, uncertain, overwhelmed, and demotivated when we don’t have a plan to guide us and keep us on track. Having a plan will help you bring a genuine intent to the changes you want to make and work step by step towards your goals.
PUTTING TOGETHER A STRESS MANAGEMENT PLAN
Part 1: Understand Your Stress Signals
Step one gets to know your triggers and patterns surrounding your stress points. Then, start to observe yourself carefully, becoming more aware of your relationship with stress. Think about keeping a journal or taking notes as you watch yourself throughout a couple of days or weeks.
Here are some things to pay attention to:
- What events, circumstances, situations, tasks, responsibilities, people, etc., tend to trigger your stress? When do you sense the most tension, and what do you notice in those times?
- When you notice your feeling stressed, what transpires? What physical feelings do you notice in your body (headaches, tense shoulders, or knots in your stomach)? What thoughts or emotions do you start to experience?
- How do you behave, and what do you select to do when you’re under stress? It can be beneficial to evaluate your coping responses to notice what tends to help and what doesn’t.
As you start to understand your association with stress, you can begin to pinpoint where your anxiety might be coming from. Spot the cues for next time to alert you that you might be starting to get stressed and what you can do to change how you respond.
Part 2: Determine – What You Can Change & What You Can’t
When it comes to stress, it is essential to distinguish between those factors that you have control over and those that you don’t. This is necessary because it helps you better direct your energy and efforts towards the things you can change, rather than running into the same wall repeatedly and wasting your time trying to change something that you simply won’t be able to. For example, maybe you discover that you get stressed every time you have to attend a specific mandatory Wednesday morning team meeting. No matter how much you spend time wishing you didn’t have to go—it’s mandatory. Something you just can’t change. But the way you communicate with your colleagues, prepare for the meeting, and think about the meeting are all within your control. Knowing what you can change and what you can’t change will allow you to cope with stress more effectively. It will help you develop practical, useful steps to improving your circumstances and work towards a method that can better serve you and help you feel better over time.
Part 3: Reduce Your Stress Points
Once you have identified stress areas in your life, make an action plan to remove or avoid any stress response from even taking hold. Again, recognize what steps you might be able to take to control an issue, set boundaries, avoid specific triggers, etc.
Consider the following:
- Can you let go of specific responsibilities?
- Can you sidestep certain places, people, or things that trigger your stress?
- Can you reduce commitments so that you have more time on your hands?
- Can you say NO to specific requests or tasks so that you don’t take on too much?
- Can you choose not to engage in certain activities or behaviors?
- Can you set better realistic goals and expectations for yourself?
- Can you set boundaries with certain people in your life to avoid relationship stressors?
- Can you break up tasks into more reasonable chunks?
Part 4: Create Stress Management Strategies That You Can Count On
If the stressor can’t be removed or changed, consider what you can do to modify your own reaction and support yourself more effectively in managing the stress. When we are under acute stress, several tips and tricks can help us change how we encounter our stressors and help our nervous systems calm down.
Here are some ideas to try:
- Breathing Exercises
- Progressive Muscle Relaxation
- Mindful Pauses
- Journaling
- Meditation & Acupuncture
- Brief Exercises or walks
- Taking A 5-Minute Time Outs
- Doing A Body Scan
- Reaching Out to A Loved Ones
- Listening To a Podcast or Audiobook to Redirect your Attention
- Listening To Music
- Stretching or Mindful Movement
- Humor
- Reframing Thoughts & Shifting Perspective
For example, you are at home, and you’ve just gotten into a fight with your spouse. You start thinking about all the other things he or she has done over the years, you have a pit in your stomach, and you are filled with anger and anxiety. These are signals of stress coming, and your mind is alerting you that it’s time to pull out your toolbox of stress management tools. So, you can pop on your headphones, turn on some relaxing music, close your eyes, and take some deep breaths. After a few minutes, you open your journal and write out your thoughts and feelings. You can also write out a few positive things, reminding yourself of the bigger picture, and how your spouse has really supported and helped you in other times of crisis. Then, take another deep breath, and get back to work.
Part 5: Build Up Your Stress Resilience By Taking Better Care Of Yourself Daily
Stress relief isn’t just about what we do now. It’s also about taking care of ourselves every day to be more prepared to manage stressful situations and recover from them quicker. Acupuncture helps reduce anxiety and stress Studies show that adding key habits into our regular routines and things like Acupuncture can drastically reduce the effects of stress and help us to manage stress better.
Use these to help as well:
- Regular Exercise and Staying Active
- Quitting Smoking
- Having Fun and Engaging in Enjoyable Activities
- Emotional Disorder Release (Body-Talk)
- Journaling
- Limiting Alcohol Use
- Meditating & Praying
- Eating Well and Focusing on Healthy Nutrition
- Toxin Detoxification
- Staying Connected and Seeking Out Social Support
- Making Time and Space for Rest
- Practicing Gratitude
Consider what you might need to incorporate into your daily or weekly routines, whether it’s cooking healthy meals, spending more time with loved ones, hitting the gym after work, or making time for your favorite hobbies.
Part 6. Set Goals & Make A Specific Plan
Now that you have identified some modifications you can make, tools you can test, and some new habits you can merge into your daily routine, set realistic and specific goals. What do you want to commit to doing daily, weekly, or monthly? What will you do after a stressful situation pops up? What, specifically, will that look like? What tools, resources, or support do you need to make it happen? And get as specific as you can about it, when, where, and how you will execute your plan to reach your goals. Believe me, this will be life-changing! Spend an hour writing down your own commitments and plans. You might even talk about them with your spouse, family, or friends, who can keep you accountable.
These are a few of mine:
- I read the bible and pray every morning while I have my coffee.
- I will commit to doing some brief stretches at my desk while listening to calming music whenever I notice my shoulders getting tense.
- I will take a long walk with my dogs on a hiking trail next to my house every Saturday & Sunday morning, so I can breathe the fresh air and absorb nature’s peace and tranquility.
- If I find myself short-tempered when I get home after work, I’ll ask my husband if he can listen while I vent some of my frustrations and worries, and then we will go take a walk together.
- If I feel overwhelmed by around 3:00 p.m. hits, I will take a 5-minutes and do some deep breathing break for myself.
Part 7. Experiment, Monitor, And Reexamine Your Plan
Putting a plan and strategy in place is just the first step. Testing it to see how it works and then adjusting over time is where the real change happens. Track your progress and evaluate how your plan is working.
Try these strategies as well:
- Creating a self-management checklist – can help you keep track of what tools you’ve been using and which ones you haven’t.
- Checking in on your stress levels – along with rating your stress levels regularly, you can even take note of what your stress management technique looked like that day, so you can collect data and start creating some links between what you’ve tested and how it helped.
- Keeping a journal – a journal can be a great space to reflect on your experiences and document them to look back on later.
- Setting reminders or alerts – If you find that you fail to check in and evaluate your plan, make appointments on your calendar or set reminders on your phone to alert you to take some time to check-in.
Your plan should be considered a work in progress that will change with time and should adjust and adapt to you. At 360 Jasmine Acupuncture & Wellness, we are always pushing and continue to explore, evaluate, and try new things that can give you the edge on optimal health. Find what works for you and dedicate yourself to doing it. And I promise you will enjoy the benefits of having discovered a better manage your stress. You deserve it!
Stay Healthy and Stay Strong.
