We do not have just one role in our life, all our roles inter-link and thus makes us who we are. Each role comes with its own set of challenges, how we manage the challenges is how much stress we accumulate.

Here are some easy to follow tips to control your stress level.

Prioritise

Sometimes it feels that you have too many pots on the stove and they are all going to boil at the same time. That being the case, you have to know which pot you have put on the stove first, BUT at the same time, you must know which will take a shorter cooking time (hmm, this is beginning to sound like a cooking class! Sorry about that). Sounds complicated, and it is. Some jobs need to be attended first, either due to date-lines or that your child is waiting impatiently for you!

Pace yourself

Don’t take on too many responsibilities, sounds selfish right, but it’s true. If you have too many obligations, you will find it difficult to fulfil some of them. This will cause you stress as you try to do too many things. People that you try to help will be disappointed with you, they may not know the full picture, but that doesn’t stop them from feeling that you let them down.

Share your woes with a friend

When the stress gets too much for you, talking about it to your friend will be a great help. As you discuss the areas of stress, your friends can help you identify what the causes are and they can help you eliminate the stress or at least offer some suggestions how to reduce the stress.

Take a day off

It does work. Sometimes, being bogged down by too much stress from the same area, you need to just step away from it all and give it a rest. Have a good break, recharge! Many people are afraid to take this step, as they feel guilty that they are not trying hard enough. Then when you come back to the problem, you may see it from a different angle.

Laughter

The cup is half empty or the cup is half full. Taking a positive outlook in each situation is a better choice and make you a happier person. Being angry and upset all the time doesn’t make the stress go away. However, with laughter, at least you bring joy to others around you as well as being healthier (something to do with the chemicals floating around in your system! I will try to do an article on that some other time).

Write it down

Sit down in front of your computer or pen and paper/diary if you prefer and pour it all out! You will be amazed by how much stress you are putting yourself through for sometimes inconsequential things or even get stress over things that you cannot control (like the number of readers coming to read my articles!) Better still write an article for Triond and de-stress.

Reflect

You must know yourself. Take time to reflect on your behaviour and what are the triggers that will help you control or lose control of your stress level. Don’t be in self-denial, not now. The more you know yourself, the better you can have control over your stress and change your behaviour for the better. Many people are afraid to take this step as well, as they fear they may not like the person they see in themselves. Don’t worry, if you can see the faults in yourself, that is the first step in your reflection. The next step is to change the behaviour.

Remember, Rome was not built in one day. Take one step at a time and see the change in yourself and be a happier person!

Good luck. You can do it!

After a few months, or some times years in the same employment. Its starts creeping up on you. It’s unexplainable, but you know it’s there, twitching in your skin and tingling in your mind. These sensations are known throughout the world. Different social circles define these chemical reactions as:

• The pain barrier.
• The wall.
• The hole.
• Time warps.
• Ground hog day.
• Not long now.

Then the symptoms start:

• The pain of the clock slowing down.
• The smell of the person next to you.
• The verbal exhaust of your boss following procedure.
• The same remuneration package with 3% increase for all you hard work.
• Hearing yourself repeating the same content all day.
• Verbally explaining something to a customer without even thinking of the answer.
• Finding yourself sitting on the toilet for a sneaky ten-minute brake, just to get away from it all.
• Winding everyone up around you to cause conflict and excitement.
• The last five minutes seem to take longer than the whole day.

Something needs to give, something needs to let go, you have used all your holidays up for the year, all 18 days of them.

Your financially sound for the month and everything is up to date. So you hit the alarm clock, pick up the phone and call in for a well-deserved day off, from modern slavery.

It’s not until the phone goes down and you lye back in that cosy, warm bed and wait for it. A rush of endorphin, electrical magic saturates them veins into a state of intensity. Only then can squeeze onto that pillow and have a secret giggle to yourself.

I love you – my sick days off.

1. 1 Year has 365 days. We sleep 8 hours/day. Therefore, we lost 122 days, 365-122= 243 days.
2. We work 8 hours a day+ 8hrs sleeping, so we have 24-16= 8 free hours/day, so we have 122 free days, 243-122= 121 days.
3. We don’t work in Sunday, and a year has 52 Sundays, 121-52= 69 days.
4. We might work half Saturday, and so, 52 Saturdays/ 2 = 26 free day, 69-26= 43 days.
5. A year has 12 holidays, therefore, 43-12= 31 days.
6. And 31 days is what we can offer for a month vacation.

That means, we probably didn’t work even a day for the whole year, but we still live smoothly, right?