Life can certainly be upsetting at times. No matter how hard we may try to avoid things that cause us stress, sooner or later we would have to deal with problems that stress us out. How well do you hold up under immense pressure? Or maybe the question should be this: What do you do to cope with stress? Your stress management techniques are incredibly important. Why? Most often, the techniques that people resort to when under stress only works for a short time. What do I mean by that? There are seemingly effective stress relievers that initially work but in the long run only add to your existing stress. It is thus important that you take into consideration some bad habits that you should not fall prey to when you feel stressed. Mindfulness in the way you handle your tension can make a lot of difference in making the situation better or worse.In this article, I will be mentioning four of the most popular but incorrect methods of dealing with stress.
1. The Fashion Therapy
Dear women, yes, beloved females. What is your happy pill? Is it a Louis Vuitton purse? I am sure that you would agree with me that there is something immensely pleasurable about getting that luxury bag you've been eyeing out for so long. And wouldn't you agree, too, that it feels exhilarating when you finally get to take home that killer pair of stilettos you've been dying to get your feet into? I understand. I, too, am guilty of being a shopaholic sometimes; and especially when I am feeling particularly stressed. Splurging on yourself can be addictive, that's true, but if you don't control yourself, splurging can cause you much headache too.
True, you may convince yourself that you are simply trying to make yourself happy by buying yourself a gift. "After all," you say, "is my happiness not what I worked so hard for?" You are on point if that is your argument and if you have the spare cash to make a Prada purchase. It is a different story altogether, however, if you are spending money without even thinking if you have enough money to spare for your savings and necessities. Especially is it inadvisable to go on a shopping spree when you have already almost maxed out your credit card and your income cannot even catch up with your expenses.
Buying yourself beautiful things is not bad in itself. However, when you binge on shopping beyond your financial resources, it becomes a problem. Resorting to fashion therapy when you feel stressed brings short-lived happiness. At the end of the month, when your credit card company bills you for your purchases, you are bound to feel the stress twofold or even more.
2. The Psychological Comfort of Smoking
I am sure that you have heard of smokers who say that they puff cigars to ease their stresses away. If you are a smoker, you most likely say that line too. Arguing against the perceived comfort that smoking brings will only keep us going around in circles, so I will not go down that route. But let me ask you; is the psychological comfort you gain from smoking cigars worth the chronic illnesses you will suffer as a result?
I am certain that you do not need my words on this article to know that smoking is fatal and has caused countless of deaths. You and I know that smoking kills. If that fact does not stress you out enough to make you kick the habit, I do not know what else will.
3. Drowning in Alcohol's Cold Comfort
So you caught your girlfriend cheating on you and now you are in a bar, drinking yourself to a stupor in between slurred rants against her. You are heartbroken, which is perfectly understandable, and you say you just want to numb the pain. You take one glass of whiskey after another"”gulping down the searing liquid as though it was water. You drink until you can drink no more until you have no choice left but to give up to drunken sleep"”dead to the world around you. You have successfully knocked yourself out and kept your mind off the pain of losing your girlfriend.Sadly, the comfort that alcohol brings is a cold one at best. When you come to your senses the following day, all the pain you've been trying to deny will slam back on you in full force, along with the worst hangover of your life. Now the pain is twofold"”a massive heartbreak and a splitting headache. You have intentionally avoided your problem, drowning yourself in alcohol, even when doing so cannot present you with a solution. In the long run, if you habitually drink away your problems, you will find that you will have more things to stress on, including your health.
4. Binging on Caffeine
Latte, espresso, decaf, Americano, cappuccino"”I have to admit that I love them all. Coffee aficionado that I am, I just could not imagine getting through a day without my favorite brew. It is thus with great regret that I write about how having too much caffeine in your system is not a good thing. There's no going around the facts; caffeine is a drug, and it can be very addictive (again I am guilty of this addiction). If you cannot function well in the morning without coffee and drink more throughout the day"”enough to keep you from sleeping, you need to minimize your coffee intake.
Tea aficionados should, likewise, be careful about their tea intake. Tea, while relaxing due to its natural theanine content also contains a level of caffeine. Although the caffeine content of green tea is not as high as that of coffee, you would find it in your best interests if you do not drink too much. The antioxidants you can get from a cup of green tea a day is good for your system, but just keep your consumption moderate.
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