Stress gets to us all. It’s okay to admit it. Nobody is the peaceful zen Buddhist monk we should all want to be. So that brings us to a question. How do we deal with it? Well, there’s no straight answer to that. Nobody knows for sure a good way to calm down and blow off steam. Maybe you’re angry at someone, or maybe going through a breakup.
There are suggestions for dealing with stress out there. Not all will work for you, but you should at least try them.
You should also know the ways you definitely shouldn’t get rid of stress. Some can be very destructive, and cause more problems than you started with.
Aggressiveness
Physical violence is never an option. No matter how overwhelmed you feel by a situation, don’t let it get the better of you. It will always escalate the situation into places you may not be able to control. The repercussions of this will always be far worse than just being stressed.
You may want to take the stress out on a physical object if you want, but please ensure you’re using a stress toy. You could hurt yourself otherwise.
Keep yourself safe, and keep a level head to avoid reacting on instinct.
Substance Abuse
Many substances are wrongly used to treat stress.
Some take-up smoking. If a stressful life is causing you to smoke more often or even chain smoke, you are putting your health seriously at risk. Within a few years, you could have put a serious strain on your heart and lungs.
Others will start drinking more. Alcohol abuse is a very dark road to go down. By the time the warning signs appear you have already damaged your body beyond repair. Alcohol abuse can severely impact your life. It can make your stressful situation into an even worse one. If you can’t start the day without a drink, you need help.
There are rehabilitation clinics almost everywhere, even some with special mandates like alcohol treatment centers for women.
Likewise, don’t allow yourself to start illegal drugs to relieve stress. If you have a prescription for antidepressants, be sure to follow the instructions for use carefully and don’t abuse your prescription by taking a larger dose or mixing with other drugs or alcohol. Prescription abuse and gateway drugs lead to far worse things. A temporary high is not worth a potential lifetime being ruined. You may end up arrested, or in an even worse situation. Choose life over drugs, and put yourself in rehab.
Hurting Yourself
Self-harm has been used by people to relieve stress. While most are just superficial cuts, some will go further and further into self-mutilation. This is a complete extreme. It can start pushing someone further and further the more stressful their life gets, and may become a compulsion later on.
Luckily, there is a whole host of mental health practitioners who understand this and are there to help. If you are struggling with this particular issue, see someone about it. There is no shame in asking for help.
Nobody ever claimed there was a cure for stress. We are wired to feel it one way or another, and our sensitivity in our lives is entirely dependent on who we are. Figuring out your stress levels is your job alone, but knowing how to deal with them doesn’t have to be a solitary task.
Try calming stress reduction methods yourself. Remember though, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel and it does indeed get better.
