Glen Luckman Reduce Stress by Simplifying

By Glen Luckman | December 8, 2009

Stress Management Techniques – Reduce Stress by Simplifying

Glen Luckman Reduce Stress by Simplifying By Brandon A Leen

Stress is everywhere in our day and time. Especially with the recent financial upheaval in the global marketplace as well as budget cuts and downsizing by employers, just making ends meet is often tough for most families. This lends itself towards elevated stress levels for those in the workforce as well as their families.

In talking about stress and looking at stress management techniques and other solutions to either alleviate stress altogether or decrease its affect on the mind and body, we often hear a lot about lowering stress in general without really talking about eliminating the sources of stress in our lives. Granted there is much to gain from living a healthier lifestyle, eating healthier, getting enough exercise, and plenty of rest. However, we can also do wonders for our stress levels by actually looking and identifying what in our lives is causing us stress. We can actually just be putting a band-aide on the problem without getting to the root of the issue.

Oftentimes when families look at what is causing a great deal of stress for each individual as well as the family as a whole, many find that they may be spending inordinate amounts of time involved in frivolous activities that cramp schedules and cause unnecessary traveling, preparation, and general time consumption. For instance, children may be involved in multiple activities that can take away from time with the family, school preparation, and cause the parents to do an excessive amount of scheduling just to make sure they arrive on time at different locations. Why not sit down with the children and decide on one activity in the school year they would like to be involved in. Look at the time requirements involved in that specific activity and decide whether it would be of benefit to the children as well as to the rest of the family. Counting the cost of extracurricular activities can go a long way in lowering stress levels.

These activities are not just limited to children. Parents as well need to look at where time is being spent. Are they increasing stress levels on themselves as well as the families by spending too much time in a leisure activity or hobby aside from work? There is absolutely nothing wrong with leisure activities or hobbies. In fact, they are very healthy activities. The key here though is are we spending too much time and energy in those activities. Balance is the key.

Communication is a key resource here. Families and individuals need to communicate with one another to get a feel for what is important. If family members think about not just their own needs but the needs of the family as a whole, compromises become much easier. The general stress level of the entire family will be reduced.

Perhaps one of the biggest stress factors that most would have on their list is financial concerns. There is no doubt about it, we are living in a time of financial crisis with job insecurity and higher costs of living. Many feel they work simply to make a living and get by. This may certainly be the case with many families. However, looking at where income is spent can be a real eye opener to most families. We can certainly increase stress in our lives by living beyond our means. Unnecessary spending whether on entertainment, housing, cars, hobbies, and clothing, just to name a few, can seriously impact our peace of mind and elevate our stress levels. Here again, balance is the key. Why not make a family budget. Keep track of all bills and expenditures that you have on a monthly basis. Examine where the money is going. One may find that by doing this they will see many areas where improvements can be made in how money is being spent. If unnecessary spending is eliminated or even reduced, much stress can be relieved.

Stress seems to be a common theme in the society in which we live today. More demands on individuals and families can bring some to the breaking point. Along with practicing good stress management techniques, we can all benefit from taking an honest look at what is causing the stress in our lives and simplify our approach to time wasters, entertainment, and financial matters.

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