By Books Author Denise Turney
Peace, even in a busy, confusing world, does not have to be hard. Understanding why you’re stressed is key to living in peace. So too is using quick stress reducers, easy techniques that work.
But first, why are you stressed? Reasons why you could feel stress are wide. In addition, the reason you could be feeling stress might be temporary or long-term. Topping some of the long-term stressors are unchallenging jobs, lengthy commutes, abusive relationships, money problems and chronic health issues.
Stress Causes
Two of these four reasons are way too familiar. Years ago, I worked a corporate job that saw me driving in bumper-to-bumper traffic for 35 miles a day. Total daily drive to and from work was 70 miles. It was a grueling commute, often finding me wondering why I kept making the trip.
It would be an understatement to say that the drive was stressful. Can still see myself hurrying my son through breakfast, then racing down the front sidewalk to the car. After I dropped my son off at preschool, I jumped back in my car and sped the rest of the way to work. To top it off, nearly half an hour passed after I got settled into work before I calmed. Did I ever need quick stress reducers.
Another stressor that I was familiar with has to do with money. Fortunately, that stressor is gone. But, there were years when I didn’t have $5 to spare. Despite an aim to think positively and consider blessings, living on a tight budget was a stress generator.
How Stress Effects the Brain
For you, there may be different stress generators. An argument with your spouse or partner could send you spiraling into stress for hours. On top of that, you might stay in an angry mood for days. Let arguing and fighting become a “normal” part of your relationship, and your relationship itself could become a major cause of stress for you.
Your chances to live a happy, peaceful and balanced life depend on how much stress you experience. This is a fact, in part, because of the effects that stress has on the brain. Very Well Mind shares that, “Stress can have negative effects on the body and the brain. Research has found that stress can produce a wide range of negative effects on the brain ranging from contributing to mental illness to actually shrinking the volume of the brain.”1
These effects may not occur until you’ve been experiencing chronic stress. And, again, that chronic stress could be caused due to a range of triggers. Job responsibilities, home repairs, social responsibilities and family obligations are other factors that could lead to stress. Let there be several or many different stressors and you could find yourself in a cycle of chronic stress.
Harmful Stress Effects
Back to the effects of stress on the brain, research has shown that chronic stress “creates more myelin-producing cells, but few neurons than normal.”1 Myelin-producing cells are related to communication. More specifically, stress can impact the brain’s white matter. It’s white matter than plays a role in how different parts of the brain communicate with each other.
Stress has also been shown to destroy brain cells and might actually cause the brain to shrink. Additionally, stress can cause you to be more forgetful. Depression is another condition that has been linked to stress.
However, what you might not consider is how everyday stress can set you up to be weak or overly vulnerable should a traumatic event occur. As an example, if you’re juggling a marriage, raising children, a full-time job and are active at your worship center, you might enter a state of overwhelm should someone close to you transition.
Slight Daily Routine Shifts as Quick Stress Reducers
This is a major reason why it’s good to add quick stress reducers to your daily routine. Start small and build your way to incorporating more quick stress reducers into your life.
To begin, set aside one minute in the morning and another minute at night before you go to bed to just sit still. That’s it. Simply sit still for a minute after you wake in the morning. Then, sit still again one whole minute before you go to bed at night. Let this simple technique work. Just do it.
Quick Stress Reducers
Start to train your mind to relax. Another way to look at it is that you’re training your brain to rest. Doing so could see you looking for more ways to let go of stress. Following are more quick stress reducers that you could make part of your days:
- Breathe deeply 10 times – Simply stop once or twice a day and take 10 deep breaths. There are deep breathing timers that you could use online. Some timers are designed to allow for as little as 30 seconds of deep breathing.
- Walk in nature – Actually walking around a mall, your neighborhood or a local park can do wonders.
- Write down what you’re concerned about – Rather than holding a worry in, write about it in a journal or diary.
- Delegate – Instead of thinking that you’re responsible for doing all the work around your house, etc. start to delegate tasks to other family members, work partners, etc.
- Watch a funny money – Oh! The wonders of laughter. Open up to more laughter.
- Eat a healthy diet – Food and beverages impact the brain. Drink lots of fresh water and eat a healthy, balanced diet.
- Exercise – Three or more times a week, get in at least 40 minutes of exercise.
Living With Less Stress
Although stress doesn’t feel good, you could become addicted to the way that you feel when you’re stressed. For instance, you might like the way that your body feels when it’s jacked up on adrenalin. Or you might like feeling drowsy as your brain works to deal with chronic stress.
Yet, if you give yourself the opportunity to let stress go, you might come to love how you feel when you’re relaxed and at peace. You also might love how you feel when your thoughts are clear and your memory is strong. Even more, don’t be surprised if you appreciate how your relationships improve and deepen as you live with less stress.
Also, should you have to face a trauma, living with less stress may equip you to deal with the unexpected event better than you would if you had to deal with chronic stress and the trauma. Therefore, consider being kind to yourself. Consider adjusting your schedule to allow room for quick stress reducers to become part of your daily routine.
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