Stress is a common reaction to the demands of life and has been shown to affect both our emotional and physical health. It affects people in all walks of life. Choices Psychotherapy is here to help with Waconia stress management. When you’re under immense stress, you may experience the “fight or flight” response. As a result of stress, you may have a variety of symptoms such as a faster heartbeat, tunnel vision, shaking, and rapid breathing.
So much of how stress affects us is dependent on how we choose to react to it. Learning to manage our reactions to the stressors in our lives will improve our sense of well-being. Effective stress management focuses on distinguishing between those factors in our lives we can control, and those that are beyond our control.
We can change our diet, but not the price of food. We can change careers, but not the state of the economy. Effective stress management relies on making these distinctions, then learning effective problem solving, assertiveness, relaxation, and other skills.
Getting regular exercise, doing deep breathing exercises, and meditation have all proven effective in managing stress. The ability to meditate allows individuals to clear their mind of unnecessary clutter and let go of thoughts that are harming us. More often than not, stress comes from fixating on the past or worrying about the future. One of the best ways of coping with stress is to focus all your energy on staying in the present moment.
Many times the best way to manage stress is to know when to ask for help, and that’s what we’re here for. If you’d like more advice on coping with stress in your life, the professionals at Choices Psychotherapy will work with you to determine a course of therapy that works for you and your unique situation.