Social support can be a great stress reliever. Friends can help us in many ways, from offering a supportive ear to lending a helping hand. Studies have shown that those who have strong social support tend to be healthier, happier and less stressed. For women, especially, this is an important part of life to nurture, as women tend to deal with stress more often by sharing feelings and forming supportive networks. One stumbling block to friendships for women is that we find ourselves so much busier these days. Demands of work, children, or other commitments can take over the time that was previously free to pursue friendships, so it’s important for women to make an effort to develop social support in their lives. The following resources for social support can help you to develop the nurturing friendships you need to help you through the stressful times and get more enjoyment out of the fun times.
How to Create Truly Supportive Friendships The Hows and Whys of Cultivating a Circle of Friends How to Build Friendships With Good Listening Skills How to Improve Your Relationships With Good Communication 10 Worst Ways to Handle Conflict
The following resources can help you to find a better level of balance in your life so that you allow enough time for each area of your life that’s important, and the amount of time you spend in a given area reflects its importance to you.
How to Say No: If you find yourself saying yes to too many activities and requests for your time, this article can help you. Stress Relievers for Busy People: If you’re busier than you’d like to be, and can’t take vacations, here are some ways to build relaxation and fun into your life. Extra Energy for Busy People: If you can’t pare down your schedule, here are some ways to find extra energy so that you can do more and still keep stress levels low.
Here are some stress relievers that are great for your body:
Exercise: Getting out and getting active has numerous health, beauty, and stress management benefits, including a leaner body, greater energy levels, improved overall health, the opportunity to blow off steam, a change of scenery, and a catalyst to take your mind off of what’s stressing you, among other things. Spa Treatments: Whether you’re going to a top spa or setting up a home spa experience, pampering your body on the outside can melt away the stress that you’re feeling inside, and leave you feeling more refreshed and beautiful afterward. Read more about setting up a spa at home, and make a habit of using it. Healthy Eating: A healthy diet has more benefits than just making you thin; because a poor diet can exacerbate stress levels, healthy eating can leave you with more energy, thinking more clearly, and reacting in a more even-tempered way to stress.
Stress and Sleep: Learn about the physical and emotional damage that can result from getting too little sleep, and how it all affects your stress levels. The Benefits of the Power Nap: Read about how to use power napping as a stress management tool and increase your productivity and improve your health in the process. Sleep Aids: If you’re having trouble getting to sleep, staying asleep, or achieving quality sleep every night, these are some all-natural ways you can get better sleep from now on. Are You Overscheduled? As mentioned previously, being too busy is one of the main reasons stressed people get too little sleep or suffer from poor quality sleep. Here’s a refresher on cutting back your schedule.
Being in touch with our feelings should be considered a tool for wellness. Becoming fully aware of how different events affect us can help us decide things like:
How much is too much to take onWhich people are good for us, and which sap us of energy or self-confidenceWhat vocation is really in line with our strengths and interestsAnd many other important life decisions that affect our stress levels.
While it’s easy to discount our own feelings or ignore intuition if that’s become a habit, you can tune into these things at any time. It may take a little practice, but you will ultimately benefit greatly from listening to your inner wisdom rather than ignoring what your feelings are trying to tell you about your life.
The Following Resources Can Help
Journaling: Journaling has terrific stress management and health benefits as well as the potential to be a wonderful self-discovery tool. Talking It Out: Talking with a close friend or even a professional about what you’re feeling and why can help you to sort through your feelings. They can also point out things about your thought process that you may not have thought about.
Fortunately, you can develop a more optimistic style of self-talk and build a habit of positive thinking by taking small steps today. The following resources can help you to better understand the way you see the world and, if need be, make changes so that you’re performing to your best with minimal stress.
Negative Self Talk: Learn how negative self-talk affects your stress level. Optimism Self Test: Many people think they’re optimists, but they don’t possess the hallmark features in an optimistic thought process. Test your thinking style to see where you stand. Positive Self Talk: Learn how to change the way you talk to yourself, think and interpret events in your life.
Choosing a Healthy New Habit: Perhaps the easiest way to stick with a new stress relief habit is to pick one that best fits your personality and lifestyle. This test will point you to the stress relievers that are best for you. Sticking With a Said Habit: Once you’ve chosen a stress management technique to incorporate into your lifestyle, these tips will help you make it a habit. Self-Care Strategies: These ideas will help you pamper yourself for a change.
How to Get in the Mood When StressedIf your libido wanes when the stress is on, this article is for you! (Your partner will thank you.) The Stress Relief Benefits of SexLearn why sex itself can be a great stress reliever, for those who feel too stressed for sex. The Relationships SectionIf you’re neglecting the relationship you’re in, these resources can help you to maintain relationship health.
Unhealthy Responses to Stress and How They Affect You The following are five of the most common unhealthy ways people respond to stress, their effects on you, and resources for healthier coping.Introspective Stress RelieversThese stress relievers allow you to look within and examine the roots of your stress so you can change and eliminate it at its roots
