This article discusses how to prevent emotional and physical stress, including tips such as managing time well, avoiding self-destructive behaviors, and finding someone to talk to. It also provides advice for preventing repetitive stress injuries, such as taking frequent breaks and setting up a computer workstation that is kinder to your body. Regular exercise is also important for preventing stress injuries.
When people ask the question of how to prevent stress, they might be talking about emotional or physical stress. In the latter they might refer to how to prevent repetitive stress injuries. In the first case they could talk about how to make sure you can avoid suffering too much emotional stress in your daily life. These are two very different topics that occasionally have some relationship, but will require very distinct guidelines that are separate.
On the issue of emotional stress prevention, it should be noted that it may be impossible to prevent stress completely. People may experience more stress even in circumstances that are thought to be good, such as getting married, having children, or taking a vacation. However, there are certainly ways to avoid states of constant stress. Some tips for minimizing stress include the following:
Try to make life easier by combining activities or not taking on extra work.
Consider finding a low-stress job if a current job is too high-energy or a work environment is consistently negative.
Manage your time well using whatever medium works, like calendars or planners.
Avoid self-destructive behaviors, such as drinking too much, smoking, or using drugs.
Find someone to talk to when stress strikes, like a trusted friend, spouse, or counselor, and use counselors to learn ways to be kinder to yourself.
Make sure life includes some self-care, relaxation or entertainment as these counterbalance stressful times.
Get at least eight hours of sleep a night, as you are less at risk of depression.
Eat healthy and plan for exercise that is enjoyable and can be easily incorporated into daily life.
Accept the premise that it is impossible to control all aspects of life, and attempting to do so leads to guilt and mental anguish.
These stress prevention tips are common, and there are many more that could work for any individual. It’s also important to note that people have different coping skills when it comes to stress. Some people seem to carry the weight of the world on their shoulders without being significantly affected, and others cannot. Not comparing yourself to other people in terms of stress management skills is important.
When it comes to the issue of repetitive stress injury prevention, some advice might sound familiar. One of the crucial ways to avoid this problem is to take frequent breaks (also good advice for emotional stress). However, interruptions should be even more frequent, for people who do the same thing over and over, like typing. Scheduling a break every hour can go a long way in preventing stress injuries.
Since many repetitive injuries revolve around computer use, one of the best tips is to set up a computer workstation that is kinder to your body. A couple of suggestions include that a person’s arms should form a 90-degree angle when sitting, and that people shouldn’t need to reach up or very far down to type or use a mouse. Instead the hands should be in a neutral position, the feet should be comfortably planted on the floor, and people should be able to sit in a good postural position without slouching. The position of the monitor is also helpful, and the top of the monitor should be aligned with your forehead.
Other things can help avoid stress injuries, including doing regular exercises of areas that move the same way repeatedly. Each area of the body may have different exercise recommendations, and the best place to get advice might be through your workplace or through a physical therapist or doctor. Getting regular full-body exercise can also be important.
Stress is always a risk, and perhaps a consequence of being human. Whether the stress is physical or emotional, too much can start to seriously affect how people can function. Taking care to prevent stress as much as possible can be a great way to live a more relaxed and comfortable existence.
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