Stress reduction techniques make a big difference in health

Caregiving is stressful, there’s no question about it.

But using effective stress reduction and management techniques can make a big difference in your physical and mental health.

They help you keep going without burning out.

We found a helpful article from the American Heart Association that covers 3 essential techniques for reducing and managing stress.

It explains how positive self talk, emergency stress stoppers, and go-to stress-busting activities help stop stressful negative thoughts and improve your mood.

We highlight the most important points and explain how they help you reduce and manage caregiver stress.

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3 essential caregiver stress relief tips

1. Focus on positive self-talk

We all have a voice in our heads – that’s called self talk. And we can speak positively or negatively to ourselves.

Negative self talk increases stress and makes you miserable. Positive self talk reduces stress and helps you calm down and feel good about yourself.

Positive self-talk isn’t about denying reality or pretending that everything is great. It’s a way to avoid piling on extra stress from going down a negative-thinking rabbit hole.

With practice, you can learn to shift negative thoughts to positive ones and the article shares excellent examples of how to do this.

So the next time you speak negatively to yourself, try turning it around to something positive, like in these examples:

1. I can’t do this. ► I’ll do the best I can. I’ve got this.

2. Everything is going wrong. ► I can handle this if I take one step at a time.

3. I hate it when this happens. ► I know how to deal with this; I’ve done it before.

4. I feel helpless and alone. ► I can reach out and get help if I need it.

5. I can’t believe I screwed up. ► I’m human, and we all make mistakes. I can fix it.

After practicing this technique, we bet you’ll notice a difference in your stress levels.

2. Use emergency stress stoppers

The American Heart Association’s article gives 10 suggestions for stopping stress fast.

Here are the 5 that we find especially helpful for caregivers:

1. Take slow, deep breaths (like Navy SEAL 4 x 4 x 4 breathing) until you feel your body start to relax.

2. Go for a walk, even if it’s just to the restroom and back. It breaks the tension and gives you a chance to think things through.

3. Walk away from the situation for a while. Handle it later once things have calmed down.

4. Break down big problems into smaller parts. Take one step at a time, instead of trying to tackle everything at once.

5. Turn on some relaxing or inspiring music.

We’ve got additional suggestions for stopping stress in its tracks here.

3. Turn to stress-busting activities to break the cycle

When stress is getting to you and you need to break the cycle, switch to an activity that makes you feel good – even if it’s only for 10 or 15 minutes.

To help you switch gears, keep a list of stress-busting ideas handy so you can quickly refocus your energy.

Here are a few of the article’s suggestions:

1. Work on a scrapbook or photo album to focus on good memories

2. Read a book, short story, or magazine

3. Listen to your favorite music or watch an inspiring performance (watch videos online for free at YouTube)

4. Take a walk in nature

5. Meditate or practice yoga

We’ve also got more instant caregiver stress relief tips here.

Next Step See the full list of stress-busting tips in the article at the American Heart Association

Recommended for you:

1. 5 Coping Tips for the Overwhelmed Caregiver

2. 25 Quick Journal Prompts That Reduce Caregiver Stress and Improve Health

3. 6 Ways to Stop Judging Yourself as a Caregiver

By DailyCaring Editorial Team Image: Osteopathiepraktijken.nl

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#copingtips #stressrelief