Reduce stress in everyday life What it’s all about: Why stress is continually on the rise in everyday life Why cortisol is a risk factor Pay attention to your sleep Sport relaxes both mind and body Leave stressful situations and recharge your batteries Release happiness hormones Nurture relationships Talking about stress with others Integrate targeted relaxation into your daily routine People who frequently suffer from stress at work, or away from it, experience an increased release of cortisol. And this, in turn, is detrimental to their health. Therefore, it’s important that you learn how to minimise stress on a day-to-day basis. By doing so, you will sustainably lower the level of the hormone cortisol, with the result that you’ll feel better mentally as well as physically. Why stress is continually on the rise in everyday life Most people living in Germany feel permanently or at least regularly stressed. Whether it’s pressure at work, at school or at university, it’s the result of living in a performance-oriented society. Those who don’t accomplish the tasks they have to do are quickly seen as failures or as weak. That’s why so many people strive to give their all every day while under a lot of stress. Very few people actually consider how this makes them feel. Do you go above and beyond to please everyone each day? Then you have to reckon with an increased cortisol level, as a result from the constant stress. The body secretes this hormone in order to remain productive. This is in itself a sensible reaction of the human body. However, if stress becomes chronic, it puts strain on your body. The internet and the use of social media are also causing increasing stress in today’s world. We’re constantly aware of what is happening in our immediate and wider environment. You’re expected to be reachable at all times, to constantly respond to others and answer emails immediately. This means that you can never really switch off; your body remains permanently in a kind of standby mode. If you also have a stressful job or have hardly anywhere to retreat to at home due to a large family, this can make you ill. Why cortisol is a risk factor The body produces cortisol when we are in a stressful situation. Blood sugar levels rise, the immune system and even inflammation are inhibited. In the long run, this puts a strain on the body and is debilitating. Many people who experience a lot of stress and have high cortisol levels sleep badly, are therefore constantly tired and suffer from poor memory and reduced concentration. Because the immune system suffers as a result of high cortisol levels, stressed people catch colds more often. The body is so busy running all its functions at full speed that it can no longer protect itself sufficiently well against pathogens and diseases. Pay attention to your sleep If you have to work hard at school or at work, you need to replenish your body’s energy at night. People can withstand stress, but only if they sleep well. To enjoy a good night’s sleep, avoid caffeine in the evening and only eat a light meal. Sleep hygiene also matters. Don’t go to bed during the day to read or watch TV, only use it to sleep in. Then your body knows that it’s an environment for sleeping and nothing else. This makes it easier to fall asleep quickly. Targeted relaxation exercises and music specifically for falling asleep can also help. Sport relaxes both mind and body Psychological stress can be alleviated with sport. However, make sure that this isn’t a sport that causes you renewed stress. For example, if you can’t cope with the pressure of playing team sports, try exercising alone in the fresh air. Activities such as walking, jogging and cycling can be very relaxing. Make sure you exercise regularly. Walking at a fast pace for half an hour several times a week is more helpful against stress than if you push yourself to the limit in the gym once a week. Leave stressful situations and recharge your batteries Only those who know themselves well and pay attention to their own sensitivities can stop negative thoughts. Consciously notice when you feel very stressed on a particular day or in a particular situation. In such moments, try to leave the situation for a moment to gather yourself. For example, you might have an important speech to give tomorrow, an exam to do or a major task to complete. Of course you need to use the remaining time you have. Nevertheless, it doesn’t hurt to take a break in between to get some fresh air or read a good book. This reduces your cortisol level and you can then go back to work with renewed energy. Sometimes even the end result benefits if you feel less stressed while accomplishing the task in question. Release happiness hormones If you enjoy doing tasks you’ll feel less stress. There is also such a thing as positive stress, which doesn’t cause the release of cortisol, but produces happiness hormones instead. Try to always have a positive attitude towards your daily tasks and commitments. This works better in practice if you reward yourself and see the positive side of your actions. For example, you might have to undertake and complete a stressful project together with other colleagues. If so,enjoy the contact with like-minded people instead of constantly comparing yourself with your colleagues. Cultivate personal relationships Those who let others help them from time to time suffer significantly less from stress. For this to happen, it’s important that you have good relationships with colleagues or classmates, and, of course, your family. Joint activities and even scheduling meetings work better when this is the case too. If you have friendly people that you can always rely on, this automatically lowers your stress levels. Of course, you should also be there for your fellow human beings when they need help. So, in a nutshell, a healthy social environment needs to be nurtured. This effort pays off because good personal relationships reduce stress. Talking about stress with others If, for example, you can talk openly at work about what’s troubling you, you will feel less stress. However, to some extent it’s also up to you to tell others openly how you’re feeling. You might not feel so good one day and need to cut back a little. Then say so openly and those around you will certainly show consideration. This takes the stress out of the situation and makes you more relaxed about your tasks. Be open about your emotions and don’t try to pretend. In the long run, it’s pretty exhausting always striving to be someone you’re not. Own your strengths and weaknesses. This takes a lot of pressure out of the situation when you’re communicating with other people. If you suffer from social stress, it can improve within a short space of time by you paying more attention to yourself and less to the expectations of others. If you’re not feeling well, perhaps because of acute stress, say so. Kind people will be considerate and may even have your back. Integrate targeted relaxation into your daily routine Sometimes you have to change your whole daily routine to really reduce your stress levels. Is your day always so busy that you hardly have the time to do the things you actually love? Actively create more space for hobbies or sports again! Sometimes we’ve simply taken on too much and have to admit it to ourselves. Cross out all those things in your schedule that aren’t important to you. For example, don’t go with friends to an event if you don’t really want to go. In cases like this, you need to resist any sense of duty and listen to what you actually want instead. Life is much too short to always do what others expect of you. If it’s your kind of thing, you could also specifically set aside half an hour to an hour a day for relaxation exercises. It is best to do a little research on the internet for this. You’ll find plenty of video guides for relaxation exercises as well as videos on yoga, meditation etc. You might like a relaxation technique so much that you want to use it regularly, perhaps with the right music and a relaxed ambience. With practice, this will help you to take time out from everyday life and recharge your batteries. If you have little time or desire to do specific exercises, get yourself a stress ball. You can roll, knead and squeeze it when needed to relieve stress as you work or study. It’s best to watch videos or written instructions on this too, so that you use the ball as effectively as possible and lower your cortisol level.
