Stress Elimination

by: Trevor Dumbleton
Copyright 2005 Trevor DumbletonLearning methods of stress elimination is a vital skill in the modern world. After all, there is no way to get away from stress these days, thanks to work, life, family, the economy, the state of the world, global warming, and an overabundance of people who are reminding you constantly about all of these. Not to mention the fact that you are stressed about everything and you know that stress can cause major health problems, so you are stressed about your own stress! Thus, you need some stress elimination strategies before you worry yourself silly.The first stress elimination method is simply that of getting away. If you are feeling the heat from stress, you find yourself anxious, and you cannot concentrate, it is time for a break. That means that, if you are at work, get up from your desk and take a walk around. If you are at home, take a walk around the block. If homework is getting you stressed, go make a sandwich. Just walk away and take a break and come back in about five minutes.As a matter of fact, when you are concentrating on something, you should breaks anyway in order to let your mind rest. After all, when you exercise your body, you take breaks to let it recover. Why should your mind be any different. By simply stretching in your seat every 15 minutes or so, then getting up and walking around for a couple of minutes every hour, you can ensure that your brain will stay sharp and stay focused. However, if you do not take these breaks, your mind will start wandering and you will find that you are stressed out because you cannot concentrate. Of course, you cannot concentrate because you are trying to force yourself to concentrate rather than giving yourself a quick break that would help you do that very thing.However, sometimes it takes more than just a few minutes of walking to get rid of stress. After all, life is stressful in itself and you need to get away from it every once in a while. Thus, part of your stress elimination strategy should include some vacations. By getting away for a week or so every year, you can alleviate stress and prevent it from appearing very often. The simple act of being someplace else where you don't have to worry about anything other than relaxing will help you immeasurably and it will allow you to keep stress away. Just leave it all behind for a while and you will be able to deal with it better when you get back.Another good method for stress elimination is through exercise. It has been shown that people who are fit tend to deal with stress much more effectively than people who are not, so it is necessary to get out to the gym every so often. Or, if you don't feel like going to the gym, you can do a few things from your home, such as running, walking or biking. Also, one very effective way to stay fit is to go out to your local swimming pool and get a few laps in. Swimming is not only a very good way to exercise your entire body, it is also a very low-impact method of exercise that does not strain the joints as much as something like running. Just remember to do something that will keep you in shape.Also, yoga is a very popular way for people to stay fit when they do not enjoy exercising in such standard ways. In itself, yoga is a very effective method for relaxation and teachers often put a great deal of emphasis on relaxing while going through the various poses of yoga. Thus, you can learn methods of relaxation, stay fit, stay limber, and even have fun doing it. Likewise, studying martial arts such as karate, ju jitsu, judo, or even the relaxing forms of tai chi can provide substantial health benefits that will help you on the road toward stress elimination.Finally, another good method for stress elimination is through meditation. Not only can you learn to eliminate stress generally, there are some methods of meditation that can be performed at a moment's notice. Just by sitting down, closing your eyes, and concentrating on taking deep breaths, you can push all that stress out of your body and ease your mind of all its concerns. In fact, simply meditating in this manner for about a minute can ease your stress levels almost instantly by clearing your mind of all its concerns and allowing it to start out fresh. In fact, with a little practice, you can meditate for a short period of time and feel as refreshed as though you just took a nap.Stress elimination is a vital skill for people who want to stay healthy, stay productive, and keep their minds sharp. Though some of the methods take some practice and take some time to master, a little effort and a little dedication can go a long way. So learn a few methods, figure out what is right for you, and stress elimination will be possible for you now and in the future.