Beat Stress

A little Stress is a good thing. It makes us feel alive by keeping our body busy
in pursuing something. It makes us longing for our own bed, at pagkatapos ng
isang buong araw makakatulog tayo ng mahimbing sa pagod. However, our bodies were never designed to handle the formidable amount of stress we face daily with our complicated world. So much stress can rob us of our health and our happiness. As they say, lahat ng sobra, masama.

Thetips below can’t guarantee to give you a stress-free life – nothing can. But at
least it can suggest ways to deal positively with stress and mitigate its destructive effects.

1. PREPARE FOR IT. Stress happens to everyone. Daily. Para lang syang problema na binibigay ni God, lahat may solusyon. It is just on how we are going to deal with it, we can either accept it or run before it.

2. PINPOINT YOUR STRESSORS. To know a solution you must know the problem first. To know the cure you must study the disease first. This is also applicable with stress. Alamin mo muna kung ano ba ang nakakapagstress sayo. What are your biggest stressors? Illness? Peer? Unresolved conflict? Finances? Recognizing your main sources of stress is the first step toward reducing their effect on you.

“What you can’t see CAN hurt you.”

3. STOP PLAYING THE LONERANGER. Human beings just aren’t designed to conquer life on their own, some situations requires a call for help. Kung ikaw naman yung taong may problema sa paghingi ng tulong o sa pagopen sa ibang tao. Remember, the help you need is always there. It is just up to you on how you conquer the fear of approaching people and the fear of rejection (in some cases). Asking for help when you need it is a sure sign of maturity – not weakness.

“Sticks in a bundle are breakable.” –Kenyan Proverb

4. RECOGNIZE THAT IMAGE ISN’T EVERYTHING. How much time you put portraying a certain image to those around you? Does it affect the way you choose, the way you dress, the way you walk, and the way you laugh? Trying to be someone you’re not is a source of stress that grows with time.

“Each of us is an original.” – Galathians 5:26 The Message

“Why be a copy when you can be an original.”

5. LET GO OF THE PAST. Of course, lahat tayo may mga bagay na pinagsisisihan. Yung mga bagay na sana hindi nalang natin ginawa. Pero it happened, at wala tayong powers para ibalik yun. Ito nalang isipin mo, you spend time thinking about the past, pero iniisip ka ba ng past?! Funny may it sound. Pero totoo. Open up sa mga taong tingin mo ay makakatulong at makakaintindi sayo. And help yourself, help yourself put the past where it belongs – in the past.

“A rearview mirror is for backing up, not moving forward.”

6. REFUSE TO LIVE IN THE FUTURE. Just like the # 5. Living in the past or at the future is not a good idea. Kaya nga tinawag na present di ba? Don’t worry about tomorrow, coz tomorrow will worry for itself. Worrying acts like a magnifying glass – it makes everything to look bigger than it really is.

7. BREAK YOUR DAY DOWN INTO A BITE-SIZED PIECES. Kung titingnan mo ang schedule mo na punong puno ay nakakapagod nga naman. Katulad ko. A lot of times nangyayari sakin yung ganian. Pero try to remember that a mountain is climed one step at a time. Treat your schedule as a five-thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle. If you’ll just scatter the pieces, it will look very difficult to solve. But if you start looking for corners, sorting by colors, and finding the edge pieces, slowly the final picture begins to take shape. Enjoy ka na sa ginagawa mo, nakaka-accomplish ka pa.

8. BREATHE IN, BREATHE OUT. When you feel the tension arising, try this deep-breathing exercise. Put your feet flat on the floor and rest your hands in your lap. Relax your body by dropping your shoulders and closing your eyes. Then take a deep breath through your nose, while slowly counting to four. Exhale through your mouth to a slowly count of four.

“Breathe easier by breathing deeper.”

9. PET A PET. You know what’s nice when having a pet? You can hug them and show your love with them without having the fear of rejection.

10. CULTIVATE QUIET. It is nice to have a break when you feel like all the tensions are on your shoulder. Stop a while and let yourself think for a moment.

11. TWIST AND SHOUT. Dancing feels good for a reason. Hindi masama to visit a bar and dance all your stresses away. It is indeed another form of releasing the stress in you. And who knows, you might meet someone interesting. ^^

12. USE IT OR LOSE IT. Magbawas ng gamet! I admit guilty ako dito! Sabi nga ng nanay ko basurera ako! Hehehehe. I used to keep things that are no use. Having a lot of things to keep is quite stressing. So kung hindi mo na talaga kailangan yung isang bagay, better throw it off.

13. EAT EVEN FAST FOOD SLOW. Indulge yourself. It is nice to take a break and eat after hours of brain storming. Taste your food, chew it slowly. Find the pleasure of eating.

14. FORGIVE YOURSELF. Admit it. You’re not perfect – no one is. God has already promised his forgiveness. What’s holding you back from forgiving youself?

15. STARE AT THE STAR. Stop, even for just a minute. And take a look around the creation that God made for His children. Look up to stars and feel the mystery of it’s every twinkle. Maniwala ka, stars have magic that lets the child out of you.

16. TURN OFF THE TUBE. Okey lang naman manuod ng TV. Pero kung sobra it will just be a stressor for you. How? It replaces chores that have to be done. Or assignment that has to be accomplished. Limit yourself. Know when is the entertainment can bring bad effect.

17. LAUGH, GIGGLE, CORTLE AND SNORT. Laugh all you want! Without thinking of what the others might think of you. Do you still remember the feeling ng hindi makahinga kakatawa? Or yung naiiyak kakatawa. Sarap dba?

18. CRY YOUR HEART OUT. Crying is a mature-thing. Hindi ibig sabihin ng pag-iyak ay mahina ka. It just reminds you that you’re still human. It crying keeps you Human.

19. LISTEN TO MUSIC. Sabi nga nila, music sometimes can tell what your mouth is afraid of saying. Listen to songs. Kaw na bahala kung anung type of songs. Kung anong trip mo. Loud or soft.

20. LOVE EXTRAVAGANTLY. Don’t stop yourself on loving someone. Remember there is no wrong decision in love. Only undecided questions! Don’t be afraid to love, even though you know you can’t be love back the way you want. Eh ano naman?! God has loved you before you knew him.

21. KEEP A JOURNAL. Para sa mga susunod na panahon may mababasa ka at tatawanan. Hehehe. Pero swear. It helps.

To: Munirih B. Villaseñor