Stress Management Techniques and Strategies to Deal with Stress
Stress is an unavoidable part of life, but how you handle stress makes all the difference. In a recent survey, 64% of Australians rated their stress levels at five or higher out of ten, with many individuals struggling to keep up with the daily juggle of managing work and home life, maintaining healthy interpersonal relationships, dealing with health concerns and earning enough income to meet their financial obligations.
In this article, you’ll learn how to manage stress while sharing the stress management techniques and strategies used in our wellbeing programs and stress management workshop. While it can feel like stress is ruling your life, there are healthy steps you can take to regulate your stress response and regain control.
What is stress management?
Stress management involves adopting short- and long-term coping techniques to help reduce the negative impacts of chronic stress while building emotional resilience.. These techniques may include deep breathing, meditation, yoga and progressive muscle relaxation to physical activity, journalling, seeking advice from trusted professionals and developing better coping habits.
Why does stress management matter?
In Australia, stress is a significant and growing concern. The Australian Psychological Society reports that stress is a growing issue among Australians, affecting both mental and physical health. Effective stress management is essential as unmanaged stress can increase the risk of chronic health conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, anxiety and depression.
From a workplace perspective, the stress, anxiety, and depression born out of failed or ineffective attempts to manage psychosocial hazards are projected to increase over the next decade. Causes of which include workplace bullying, harassment and excessive workload. A study by Bond University found that stress levels in Australian workplaces are among the highest globally, with 34% of employees reporting lower mental health levels compared to six months prior. Businesses must take stress management seriously and act to maintain the safety of their employees, just like they would physical or operational health and safety.
Identify the causes of stress in your life
- Work-related pressures, e.g. tight and sudden deadlines, overwhelming workloads, or conflicts with colleagues.
- Financial difficulties, e.g. debt, unexpected expenses, job instability, or societal pressures
- Personal relationships, e.g. conflicts with family members, friends, or partners.
- Health concerns, e.g. chronic illnesses or injuries, and lifestyle factors like smoking, excessive drinking or poor diet
- Major life changes, e.g. moving, starting a new job, or losing a loved one
Unhealthy ways of dealing with stress
When exploring stress management, you usually look at healthy ways of dealing with stress like exercise, meditation and yoga. However, not everyone has access to or the capacity for these strategies. While they only provide temporary relief, unhealthy ways of dealing with stress might include:
- Overeating or undereating
- Constantly using food to cope with emotions
- Excessive alcohol or drug use
- Withdrawing from family and friends
- Procrastination
- Scrolling for hours on your phone
"Businesses must take stress management seriously and act to maintain the safety of their employees, just like they would physical or operational health and safety. "
Other stress management techniques
Yes, stress is an unavoidable aspect of life, but it doesn’t have to control you. Once you understand your stressors, it’s time to explore and adopt healthy coping mechanisms to manage stress effectively.
1. Practice mindfulness and meditation
Mindfulness is an incredible stress management tool that focuses on distracting a busy, stressed mind by focusing on the present moment. Meditation, yoga and breathwork are all mindfulness practices that help to reduce stress levels and activate the parasympathetic nervous system, responsible for calming us down.
2. Exercise Regularly
Physical activity releases endorphins, natural chemicals in the brain that improve mood and reduce the negative impacts of stress. Whether it’s a brisk walk, yoga, or team sports, find an activity you enjoy and make it a regular part of your routine.
3. Maintain a balanced diet
Eating a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, proteins, unsaturated fats, and whole grains can help manage unhealthy stress levels, supporting our decision-making and capacity. This is compared to predominately fuelling our brains with excessive caffeine and sugar.
4. Ensure adequate sleep
Where possible, aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night, as a lack of sleep can increase stress levels and negatively affect our ability to self-regulate our moods and emotions. Ensuring your sleep environment is dark, a cool temperature (around 19 degrees), quiet and absent of technology, including phones, iPads and TV screens, can further promote a state of restfulness.
5. Connect with others and have fun
Being socially connected and feeling supported is essential to managing stress. Spending time with friends and family or joining support groups you enjoy can provide a sense of belonging, satisfaction and contentment.
6. Manage your time effectively
Poor time management and failure to prioritise effectively can lead to chronic stress. When you’re stretched too thin and running behind, you’re more likely to feel overwhelmed. A few ways to better manage your time include: Taking time to sit down at the start of each day and prioritise tasks, setting realistic goals using the SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time sensitive) model, breaking larger tasks into smaller, manageable steps, learning how to delegate tasks effectively, and communicating with others when you can’t commit to a project. It is better to communicate the truth and find an alternative solution then to pretend you can do something and fail to complete it.
7. Seek professional help when necessary
If stress becomes overwhelming, consider seeking help from a mental health professional or using your Employee Assistance Program through work. Counsellors and coaches can provide strategies tailored to your situation and help you develop active coping mechanisms to better deal with everyday stress.
Need help managing stress levels at work?
At The Wellness Workshop, we offer tailored programs to help individuals and organisations manage stress effectively. The Stress Management Workshop provides practical strategies and emotional resilience training designed to help your team better understand the different types of stress, learn how eustress can be positive and enhance performance and how to manage toxic and chronic stress that is known to impact health and wellbeing negatively.
