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Ways to Manage Stress and Organize Your Life
By Esther Schultz

Sadly, nowadays most of us suffer from stress. Whether the cause is traffic, money, family, chores, job, or no job, stress is simply a fact of modern life. Modern society expects everything to be done faster and better than ever before. This life in the fast lane approach leads to an increase in pressure on us all, which manifests itself as anxiety, stress and depression.

That said, stress is not something we should consider to be a normal part of life. It is something we can, and should, take steps to avoid. According to Mike George, author of Learn to Relax: A Practical Guide to Easing Tension & Conquering Stress, "Ultimately, we need to accept that, although life can be stressful, this is not one of its intrinsic characteristics."

What is stress?

Stress is very difficult to define because it is so subjective. Different people find different things stressful, and one person's response to stress will differ from another's. For the purpose of this article, I am referring to stress as the emotional and physical reaction to a perceived threat or to events that upset your equilibrium.

Stress is by no means a new phenomenon, but the stress we experience today is different to that which would have been experienced by our ancestors. Indeed, there are some schools of thought that consider modern day stress to be more serious than ever before. According to the American Institute of Stress "Contemporary stress tends to be more pervasive, persistent and insidious because it stems primarily from psychological rather than physical threats."

Recognizing stress

In some circumstances stress is a good thing. It can protect you in emergency situations by speeding up your reactions, or help you achieve your goals by increasing productivity. However, very often we experience too much stress so that it results in negative moods, un-wanted behavior and even debilitating illness.

On the surface, stress can make us feel irritable, moody and on edge. It can lead to insomnia, fatigue, loneliness, insecurity, tearfulness, an inability to relax, bad eating habits, overspending, nervous tics, loss of appetite, and loss of concentration or memory. But stress can cause physical symptoms that extend far beyond behavior. Stress can attack the muscles, circulation, nervous and digestive systems often leading to headaches, high blood pressure, muscle spasms, back and neck pain, indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcers, nausea, heart palpitations and skin problems. If that list isn't enough motivation to do something about your stress, I don't know what is.

So what can we do about it?

Every one of us is different. What works as a stress reliever for one will not necessarily be effective for another. So here are plenty of suggestions to help alleviate your stress. You don't need to try them all. Just pick the things that work for you.

1. Mind Body Therapies

Mind body therapies are techniques that encourage the mind to have a positive impact on the body. There are many different types of mind body therapy, including meditation, prayer, yoga, Pilates, tai chi, Qigong, relaxation, breathing, hypnosis, massage, acupuncture and acupressure. They can all help you change the way your body reacts to stressors by helping you to relax your body and calm your mind, encouraging you to think positively, increasing your concentration, and imp-roving your mood. To help find the right one for you, speak to your general practitioner or try out different techniques.

2. Take time out

It may seem obvious, but one of the best ways to combat stress is to take some time out to relax. And before you say "I just don't have time", heed the old saying of English Author Charles Buxton: "You will never find timefor anything. If you want time, you must make it."
With those sentiments in mind, try to make time for one or more of the following activities each week:

Take a hot bath.
Use aromatherapy oils to help ease your tension and calm your mind. You can put a few drops into your bath or use an aromatherapy burner to fragrance your home. To relieve anxiety use lavender, marjoram, bergamot, basil, neroli, ylang ylang or juniper oil. For fatigue try rosemary, lemon, lemongrass, eucalyptus, peppermint or jasmine oil. To aid sleep use bergamot, lavender, marjoram, ylang ylang, juniper, basil or clary sage.
Have a massage. If you can't afford to pay for one, ask your partner or a friend to massage you. Alternatively, give yourself a foot massage.
Set aside some time to read a good book or one of your favorite magazines.
Give yourself a weekly treat. Buy a bunch of flowers to brighten your home, have a manicure or pedicure, or treat yourself to a guilt-free bar of your favorite chocolate. Whatever you choose, set aside time to really savor it.
If your life is hectic and you are always surrounded by people, allocate half an hour each week to sit quietly, alone and calm your mind.
Take a vacation. This doesn't have to be a luxurious trip to the Caribbean. Just taking a few days off work to pursue some of your favorite activities, or a weekend break to somewhere different can really help to put things into perspective.

3. Exercise Regularly
Whether it is walking the dog or climbing a mountain, regular exercise is a crucial part of effective stress management. Exercise has both physical and emotional benefits. It helps prevent illness, enhances health, improves sleep, increases energy levels, elevates mood, and improves self-esteem.

Try to build some regular exercise into your daily routine. Whether it is walking, running, swimming, weeding the garden, washing the car, cleaning the house, or just putting on some music and dancing around your living room, it will release endorphins and help relieve the stresses and strains of modern life.

Exercise also provides you with great social opportunities. You can meet up with friends and family members to stay active together, or you can make new friends by joining a club or a team. Why not join a local softball team or a hiking meet-up group? With the California sunshine, there really is no excuse!

4. Stop procrastinating

Many of us fall into the trap of convincing ourselves that we are too busy to deal with certain projects, when really we are just avoiding the jobs we dread. By doing this, we create additional anxiety because those dreaded jobs stay hanging over us. As English poet Edward Young once said, "Procrastination is the thief of time."

More often than not, it is just the thought of starting something that causes anxiety. Once we actually start, it usually isn't as bad as we thought it would be. If there's something you've been procrastinating about for a while, try breaking the project up into bite-size pieces and promising yourself to tackle one piece each day. Come up with a reward scheme for accomplishing each piece. You will probably find that once you are off the starting block, it isn't as bad as you thought it would be.

5. Don't sweat the small stuff - just deal with it

Letting chores build up can cause unnecessary anxiety. Maybe you're worrying about whether there are any urgent bills in that pile of unopened mail. Or perhaps your blood pressure rises a little more every time you open that squeaky door. These small niggles can grow into serious stressors if you don't do something about them. Here are some tips to stop things mounting up:

Make a list of tasks that need to be completed in order of priority. Promise yourself to complete a certain number of those tasks each week.
Keep household repairs and maintenance up to date. Set aside some time each week to deal with them.
Do your household chores early on Saturday. Decide what needs to be done in advance and allocate a specific amount of time. When that time is up, stop and enjoy the rest of the weekend.
Do not let your mail pile up. Deal with it every day.
Pay bills as soon as they arrive or arrange a payment scheme. Alternatively, set up direct debits for all your bills so you don't need to worry about them at all.

6. Manage your time

Effective time management can make a huge difference to the level of control we feel we have over our lives. The more control we feel we have, the less anxiety we experience. By organizing our time effectively we can make sure we do the things that are important, thereby reducing stress. So how do you go about this?

Make a list of your goals in order of priority. Tackle them one at a time.
Take on difficult jobs first.
Learn to delegate.
Plan, plan, plan. Preparation is key to relaxation. The time spent planning will significantly reduce the time spent executing your goals.
Don't forget to schedule in quiet time.
Keep a daily to-do list.
Learn to say no.
Give yourself enough time for traveling without stress.
Allow more time than you think for all jobs.
Don't be a perfectionist. Just do the best you can.
Try not to thrive on racing around marveling at how busy you are.

7. Eliminate clutter

Removing physical clutter from your life can help you to achieve a calm mind, one of the best defenses against anxiety. Clean up your living space, order your surroundings, and you will be on your way to clearing your mind. And the act of clearing and organizing can be therapeutic in itself. Here are some tips:

Clear out your drawers. Make sure you can see their contents when you open them - no more frantic rummaging for long lost items.
Try getting rid of all clothes you have not worn in the last twelve months. Goodwi ll will thank you.
Get rid of clothes that don't fit. Resist the urge to keep them until you lose those ten pounds!
Clear out your handbag, your car, the garage, and anywhere else you see clutter.
Set aside some time once a month to organize some of your photos into nice albums. It is surprisingly satisfying, especially when you next have guests over to bore with hours of old family vacation snaps!
Go through your old books and CDs and clear out the ones you no longer read/listen to. You can donate them to your local library, offer them to goodwill, or make a few dollars selling them on eBay or Craigslist.
If you subscribe to any magazines, promise yourself that you will only keep each issue for two weeks. If you haven't read it by then, tough luck.
Ladies - clear out your cosmetics regularly. Don't leave it until they are spilling out of all the bathroom cabinets.
Be realistic about which projects you will actually finish someday. Let the rest go.
Resist the temptation to save everything 'just in case'.
Don't stuff things in the closet to deal with later. Deal with them now.
Clean your home regularly. Not only is this good exercise, but it will also provide you with a clutter-free sanctuary in which to practice your relaxation techniques.
Balance your home with Feng Shui, the ancient Chinese philosophy of using spatial arrangement and orientation to facilitate the flow of energy to promote health, happiness, and prosperity.

8. Find a creative outlet

Pursuing a hobby can really help to relieve stress. You could try painting, drawing, music, photography, gardening, dance, sculpture, scrap-booking, cooking, keeping a blog or daily journal, or anything else that takes your fancy. And you can make it social by joining a local club or meet-up group. Whatever you choose to do, engaging in a creative pursuit can be extremely therapeutic. And don't worry if you don't think you are good at it. As long as you enjoy it, that's all that matters.

9. Get your beauty sleep

Things always seem far worse when you haven't had enough sleep. You also tend to eat more of the wrong foods leading to low energy, poor self-esteem and sluggishness. So if you want to tackle stress, make sure you get a good night's sleep. This may be difficult if your stress is causing you to suffer from insomnia, but here are some tips to help you get eight hours of shut-eye each night.

Have a good bedtime routine.
Go to bed at around the same time each night.
Get up at a reasonable time every morning even if you haven't slept well. This will help your body develop a sleeping routing.
If you suffer from insomnia, resist the urge to take daytime naps.
Avoid big meals late at night.
Keep a note pad by your bed to write down anything you suddenly remember you have to do in the middle of the night.
Drink chamomile tea before bed.
Get plenty of exercise (but not too close to bed time).

10. Eat Healthily

A well-balanced, nutritious diet can help combat stress and keep energy levels high. I could write books on the subject, but for the purpose of this article here are the main points to bear in mind when considering the connection between food and mood.

Cut down on alcohol, caffeine, smoking, overeating and sugar. All will ultimately lead to increased anxiety.
Eat a high-energy breakfast every day, for example, porridge, poached eggs on wheat toast, or yogurt with berries and seeds.
When you get that afternoon slump, avoid reaching for caffeine and sugar. Instead go outside for a few minutes of daylight, get your circulation flowing with a short walk, eat a piece of fruit and have a cup of herbal tea or lemon in water.
Do not eat lunch at your desk. Get outside and take a break, even if it is only for ten minutes.
Resist the urge to eat unhealthy comfort foods as a response to stress.
Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. Dehydration can lean to forgetfulness, fatigue, hunger, head-aches, painful joints, digestive disorders and more.
Opt for slow-release complex carbohydrates to help sustain energy levels. Examples are brown rice, wheat bread, wheat pasta, oats, fruit and vegetables.
To combat stress and its effects, stuff yourself full of the following stress-fighting superfoods: grapefruit, tomatoes, cherries, watermelon, red peppers, blackberries, egg plant, nuts and seeds, mangoes, oranges, lemons, bananas, sweet corn, pineapple, apricots and dark chocolate.

11. Laugh

Laughing releases endorphins which make you feel good. Try watching a comedy, having a giggle with friends, or reading a funny book.

12. Budget

Sort out your finances and budget your income. Know how much you can spend each week and stick to it. And get rid of credit card debt. Lessening your financial worries will help prevent unwanted stress responses.

13. Eliminate guilt from your life

Resist the temptation to feel guilty. Either realize that what you are choosing to do is perfectly permissible and should not lead to feelings of guilt, or don't do it.

Conclusion

There are a great many things you can do to relieve anxiety. Next time you are feeling stressed ask yourself - what's the worst that can happen? And remember the wise words of Reinhold Niebuhr's serenity prayer, "Grant me the courage to change the things I can change, the serenity to accept the things I can't change, and the wisdom to know the difference."