Dr. Aaron's Blog

Feeling Stressed? Avoid Making These Five Mistakes!

May 9, 2016 Addiction, All, Healthy Eating, Naturopathic Medicine, Nutrition by Aaron Van Gaver

In a world where everyone is faced with continuous pressure, it is no wonder that people are feeling more stressed than ever. When this happens everyone seems to be trying to find a way to de-stress. While de-stressing is important, as with everything there is a right and wrong way to do it.

In fact, there are 5 things you should never do to de-stress. Knowing these five mistakes will help you unwind in the right way.

Five Things You Should Never Do to De-Stress

1. Get Drunk
While it might feel great to get drunk and not have a care in the world, this actually does nothing to solve your problems. In fact, what happens is that you actually end up feeling more stressed out once you are sober. Many people crave being around friends when they are stressed out and for some reason this has become the go to activity. Think about going out to dinner, going to a movie, or just talking with those who you need support from instead of drinking.

2. Post Your Frustrations on Facebook
Social media has become the go to for most people when they are feeling down. This is actually one of the biggest mistakes that you can make. When you post online about problems, you are posting publicly and it is something that you might not be able to take back. Even future employers are checking out social media posts when they are deciding whether or not to hire someone.

3. Say Something You Don’t Mean
Many times when things get tough, people decide to try and change them. Sometimes that comes with ultimatums or saying something that you don’t mean. Watch what you say and make sure that you are not saying things that you do not mean, even if you think that they will cause the outcome that you want. This can end up backfiring on you and making the entire situation even more stressful.

4. Shop
Picking out a new pair of shoes or new clothes might make you feel better for the time being. The problem is that this action is doing nothing to actually solve the situation that is causing you stress. If you use this as your coping mechanism for stress then you can end up in debt or with additional stressors that you might not have had otherwise.

5. Make Big Unrealistic Plans
Another thing that might seem to temporarily ease stress is to plan something big. Whether it be a home renovation, vacation, or move; it is not going to make you feel better if you can not follow through. Plus, if you make these types of plans when you are stressed you might end up spending more than your budget and in an even worse situation in the end.

Keep in mind these 5 things you should never do to de-stress. If you do, you are going to be able to reduce the amount of stress that you feel. Plus you come up with healthier ways of dealing with your problems.