Ask Dr. Ilenya: Eight Tips for Immediate Stress Relief

Here is one more query from Mr. Atta Yaw, and
my thanks for his excellent questions.

"When one sees signs of stress, such as sudden sweats
on forehead, what should be done to get immediate relief?"

When this happens, you might be feeling quite anxious or
panicky. This is a time to be gentle with yourself.
Treat yourself with great loving kindness.

Eight Tips for Immediate Stress Relief

Choose a few of these tips to practice when you
are calm, so you will be ready the next time you
suddenly feel anxious or deeply worried.

1. Breathe gently, slowly and deeply.

2. Walk away from the stressful situation if possible.

3. Talk lovingly to yourself silently, inwardly, saying
positive things like, "Relax. I can handle this. I can get
through this. There is a solution." Immediately picture
yourself as happy and successful in this situation. See yourself
relaxed and handling things calmly, confidently.

4. Ask yourself, "What is it that I need to learn from
this situation?" Instead of focusing on worry or concern,
become a neutral loving observer of what is happening,
and focus on what you can learn right now.

4. Send love to yourself. Put your hand on your stomach,
either a little above or below your belly button, wherever you
feel tension, and tell yourself silently, "God bless you, I love you,
Peace be still." Repeat this over and over silently until you relax.

5. Get a glass of water and sip it slowly.

6. Go for a short walk to help to release the nervous
tension of stress or anxiety.

7. Get busy doing something productive, like chores
or your next piece of business. This will help take your focus
off the problem and help you get relaxed and balanced again.

8. Pray. If you are a religious person, you might say a short
prayer asking for God's help. Or just remind yourself,
"God loves me. I have the strength and courage to get
through this now."

The next four tips are for understanding and
prevention of further stress or anxiety attacks.

9. Make a mental note of exactly what seemed to trigger
your burst of anxiety. Write about it later in your journal,
looking logically at your response and putting your stress into
realistic perspective. Understanding and awareness can
create quick balancing and healing!

10. Practice relaxing. As a preventive measure,
while you are not stressed, practice telling yourself positive
statements such as, "I am relaxing now," and actually practice
relaxing your muscles throughout your body. Get the feeling
of relaxing, so when you do face stress, you can tell yourself,
"I am relaxing now," and you will know how to do that.

11. Practice meditating. Again, for prevention, practice
a simple meditation every day. You will learn to relax your
mind and when you feel tense, you can more easily let it go.

12. Ask for help. Talk to a family member, trusted friend,
clergy person, or counselor to help you understand what's
happening with your sudden stress response, and to come
up with solutions.