Stress Reduction and Management - II

6. Keep a Stress Diary: Keeping a stress diary for a few weeks is an effective stress management tool as it will help you become more aware of the situations which cause you to become stressed. Note down the date, time and place of each stressful episode, and note what you were doing, who you were with, and how you felt both physically and emotionally.

Give each stressful episode a stress rating (on, say, a 1-10 scale) and use the diary to understand what triggers your stress and how effective you are in stressful situations.

Stress Reduction and Management - I

Pressure and Stress are bound to arise daily from our work, family, society and expectations. Also, most patients are having it rough due to overwhelming stress. How we identify and manage these stress makes a great difference. Lets review some of these key tips:

1. Avoid Caffeine, Alcohol, and Nicotine: Avoid, or at least, reduce your consumption of nicotine and any drinks containing caffeine and alcohol. Caffeine and nicotine are stimulants and so will increase your level of stress rather than reduce it.

Alcohol is a depressant when taken in large quantities, but acts as a stimulant in smaller quantities. Therefore, using alcohol as a way to alleviate stress is not ultimately helpful.