How not to deal with stress

Everyone has stress in their lives, and stress can be both good and bad. On the one hand, good stress pushes us to excel. On the other hand, it can be debilitating.

And just as there are good and bad stress, there are good and bad ways to deal with stress. Learning how to cope with the stress in your life can help your overall health and your outlook on life.

Here are seven common ways that people deal with stress that don’t properly deal with the problem and can also exacerbate the issue.

Ignoring the problem

It’s fine to take a breather and step away from the problem, but avoiding the stress point is counter-productive.

Obsessing

Focusing all of your attention on something is not a healthy way to solve the issue. Make sure you’re keeping it in perspective.

Blowing things out of proportion

When something bad happens, it’s natural to think about the worst case scenario. One mistake doesn’t make you a horrible person. Dwelling on mistakes can cause you more undue pressure, which increases the chance that you could make another.

Drinking

Having a glass of wine after a stressful day is not necessarily a bad thing. Having a bottle of wine is. It can raise your blood pressure, prevent you from sleeping and can, in fact, cause you to ruminate.

Smoking

Aside from the adverse effects on your lungs and heart, smoking can also increase your heart rate, make you anxious and can actually increase the stress you’re feeling.

Sleeping too much

Normally, sleeping too little is associated with stress, but some people react by hibernating. The problem is that sleeping too much can actually make us more tired. And exhaustion makes it more difficult to focus.

Emotional eating

In times of stress, many people turn to comfort food, which generally means loading up on calories, fat and sugar. The longer your stress lasts, the more likely you are to reach for food to cope, which can cause weight gain and other health issues.

The important thing is to address the issue, get help if you need it, and maintain balance. Dealing with stress is an absolute necessity. Next week … better ways to deal with stress.