Stress Relief Techniques: 6 Worst Things To Do When You’re Stressed
We all agree that life is stressful. Stress is your single worst enemy. Stress affects all aspects of your health. There are times we cannot control a situation and feel stressed, however we can control our actions and reactions to things which can have a huge impact on our stress level. Often the actions we take can make things worse for us and create new problems, instead try to use stress relief techniques and control your behavior.
Here are the worst things that people do when stressed:
1. Venting to friends
Per scientists pouring out your feelings to your friends is the worst thing you can do. Instead learn to positively appraise the reason for your stress by accepting it and seeing humor in it is the best way to cope for people dealing with failure. A study published in the journal Anxiety, Stress, and Coping included 149 students from the University of Kent who were asked to keep a diary for 3-14 days and write their most bothersome failure, the strategies they used to cope, and how they felt at the end of the day. Those who used venting and self-blame had adverse effects on satisfaction while those who used acceptance and humor had positive effects.
2. Over-discussing the problem with friends
Stop ruminating when you are feeling stressed. Talking to your best friend about the problem to better understand it is the best way to reduce stress, but sometimes you end up having unproductive and negative thinking known as rumination. It’s better to focus more on solutions than problems. One poll states 70% of the population ruminates often and only 5% of them get good results.
3. Skipping your morning coffee
This is great as long as you are female. Stop thinking skipping your morning coffee or tea thinking it will make you more restless. A study at the U.K.’s University of Bristol found that women who had 3 cups of caffeinated coffee, compared to decaf, performed better and felt more confident at work. They trust colleagues more. Men performed worse drinking coffee when stressed.
4. Eating junk food
Stress eating is no good and there are surprising reasons why French fries, donuts, burgers, and other junk foods are bad for your health, what you eat has a great impact on how you feel. A study by Janice Kiecolt-Glaser at Ohio State University found that our bodies take longer to remove saturated fats from the bloodstream when we are stressed. Saturated fats can lead to inflammation, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease.
5. Doing what you have been doing
A study at the University of Minho in Portugal found that behavior becomes habit under stress, habit-forming parts of the brain expand while goal-directed ones contract. The more you are stressed the less you will change. Avoid repeating the same mistakes you have been making that are leading you to problems and stress. Try different strategies, preferably more positive. Most importantly, stop thinking about your problem.
6. Leaning on frenemies
This is an important one, sometimes we mistake people for friends and rely on them while stressed. It’s important to let go of toxic relationships and try to build healthy ones. Learn to handle your problems yourself and accept things with courage, stop seeking advice and think for yourself.
Stress Relief Techniques: 6 Worst Things To Do When You’re Stressed
Edited By Stephanie Dawson
[Last Updated on June 2nd 2014]
