Most people experience stress from time to time amidst the hustle-bustle of a fast-paced society. Generally, working life can be physically and emotionally challenging.
One way to manage your stress is to take active steps to experience positive emotions for a better quality of life. Here are some tips:
Be Curious – Make time for things outside your daily or regular routine. Take a different route or form of transport to your workplace and appreciate the new surroundings; while at work, rearrange your routine tasks e.g. deal with clients first and then do the account books or vice versa; stop along the way home to soak in a scenic view (a park or reservoir, the setting sun). Have an inquisitive mind and take interest in new things that inspire you, and fit them into your daily life.
Experience Tranquility – Take time for your own thoughts and dreams. Make quiet time to reflect on matters other than work related thoughts. Think along the lines of happy memories in the past, future events you are looking forward to, or simply things that help you unwind (e.g. a field of sunflowers, the sun setting, children playing).
Enjoy Affection – Companionships, relationships, friendships. We all need the comforting presence of love in these relationships. Make time for social gatherings with friends; have a meal with your family on a weekday evening; go on a romantic date with your spouse; catch up with an ex-colleague or a friend whom you have not seen for a while. Make time for the people around you, however hectic your schedule may be and appreciate the warmth in these meaningful relationships.
Laugh – Laughter is more than a smile, for it fuels our inner senses, decreases our burdens and lightens a difficult situation. So actively source for people or situations that can arouse laughter within you and take the approach to look for the positives instead of the negatives in daily activities.
Tips
- Be curious. Take time out from your daily work routine and try something new or different.
- Stay connected with family and friends – relationships provide love and warmth in your life.
- There is always a positive side to every bad situation – things may not seem so bad after a good laugh.
- Why is it important to appreciate the little things in life?
- It helps us to de-stress and to stay happy and healthy
- It will make my life less hectic
- It gives me a stronger sense of purpose and direction
- All of the above
- What does laughter not do for you?
- Releases chemicals that keeps me happy and positive
- Helps me see the positive side of things and lighten my burden psychologically
- It helps me solve all my problems in life
- Which of the below set of activities helps you to build positive emotions?
- Being curious, meeting up with old friends, laughing
- Laughing, smelling the roses, drinking
- Shopping, eating and clubbing