The 4 A's of Stress Relief: What You Should Know

Do you suffer from stress? Research shows that over three-quarters of Americans experience physical symptoms caused by stress. When left unchecked, stress can lead to fatigue, a weakened immune system, sleep disorders and other problems. Depending on your job, some of these symptoms may increase your risk of work-related injury. Fortunately, you can find relief by familiarizing yourself with the 4 A's of stress relief. Below is a brief guide to the 4 A's of stress relief and how they work.

#1) Avoid

Avoiding triggers will give up the upper-hand on stress. Stress doesn't just manifest out of the blue. Rather, it's caused by triggers. In the workplace, common triggers include working long hours, a lack of tools or resources needed for the job and a negative culture. If possible, you should try to avoid the specific triggers that are responsible for your stress. Avoidance is one of the most effective ways to relieve stress.

#2) Alter

While you can't always avoid stress triggers, you may be able to alter them. Altering means changing a trigger so that it has a lesser impact on your stress levels. Managing your time better, for instance, can have a positive impact on your stress levels. If you feel overworked due to working long hours, perhaps you can focus on time management. By managing your time better, you can alter this otherwise common trigger so that it doesn't cause high stress levels.

#3) Accept

Another way to deal with stress is to accept it. The right mindset can make a world of difference in your stress levels. Rather than rejecting stress, for example, perhaps you can learn to accept it. Acceptance is a positive mindset in which you "accept" stress. Rather than trying to fight it, you can embrace it as part of your daily life. Stress is a psychological condition. Through acceptance, you can prevent it from having a negative effect on your mind.

#4) Adapt

You can overcome stress by adapting to it as well. Adapting is all about changing your routine so that you experience less stress. In other words, find out what exactly is responsible for your stress and then make changes in your routine to overcome it.

These 4 A's of stress relief consist of avoiding, altering, accepting and adapting. By integrating these practices into your daily life, you can keep your stress levels in check while subsequently avoiding the health problems associated with this psychological condition.