Change the Way You Think About and Approach Stress.
Stress isn't always necessarily bad. The purpose of stress is to prepare your body to take on a potentially dangerous situation that you need to react quickly to, to survive. Your hypothalamus alerts your body to the danger. A combination of nerve and hormonal signals prompts adrenal glands to release adrenaline and cortisol. Adrenaline increases heart rate, elevates blood pressure, pumping blood to major muscles, and boosts energy supplies quickly. While that is happening cortisol eliminates functions nonessential and that aren't assisting fight or flight. Some of those functions include peripheral vision and hearing. It also alters immune system responses and suppresses the digestive system, reproductive system, and growth processes.
If you fall under any of the descriptions given in the Levels of Stress Tab, solutions are given there. Change the way you look at the world and the picture will change. Are you doing this to yourself? Is your body following your minds lead? If you tell yourself you're under stress then your body is going to believe it.
Unfortunately if your body is in this condition for long periods of time, sometimes changing your mindset isn't going to be enough anymore. You've already convinced your body that it is in danger. Perceiving things differently is the first step to prevent further damage! Depending on the different levels you may fall in there are going to be different solutions.
Level 1
If you think you suffer from Acute Stress, the best thing to do is to change your mindset. You can handle what you're dealing with and can overcome whatever obstacles your day may hold. Maybe also take yourself out of more "stressful situations" and involve yourself in less strenuous activities like yoga or a book club.
Level 2
If you suffer from Episodic Stress make more time in your schedule for yourself. Give yourself something to look forward to each week. Get what you need to do done and then take a break. Make a point to go to the gym, go for a hike, go out with friends or something that makes you feel relaxed and happy. Also make sure you aren't taking on more than you can handle. Try to do less things well rather than many things quickly.
Level 3
If you suffer from Chronic Stress the safest thing you could do would be talk to your doctor. You've most likely been suffering from a lot of stressors for a long period of time and it's taking a toll on your body. You need to especially focus on taking care of yourself and finding something everyday that makes you feel relaxed.
DISC Personality Types
People need a different approach on how to handle stress. Perhaps understanding how different personality types deal with stress differently and therefore have different solutions for stress, you can learn how to handle yours. DISC Personality Test Online is a test you can take to determine what your personality is like. It will ask you what description matches you most and they will give you four options or scenarios to choose. The test will then tell you which personality trait you obtain; Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, or Conscientiousness. A dominant personality enjoys power, control, assertiveness, and tends to be direct, decisive, take risks, problem solve, and be argumentative. These people are very driven. An influential personality communicates and performs in social situations well. They are outgoing, enthusiastic, optimistic, persuasive, impulsive, and emotional. A steady personality is patient, thoughtful, and stable. They listen well, are predictable, understanding, supportive, friendly, and generous. A conscientiousness personality enjoys structure and organization. They tend to be accurate, precise, careful, correct, systematic, analytical, and have high standards for themselves. These personality types all experience different stressors because they think and behave differently than one another. D personalities become stressed by losing control, taking orders, or having to be slow or deliberate. I personalities would not mind losing control as much but slow deliberation would cause them stress. Not being liked, precision, and detail would stress I’s while public speaking would not. S personalities would not mind taking orders, being slow, or deliberate but lack of deliberation would stress S’s as well as public speaking. C personalities also get stressed when there is a lack of deliberation and public speaking. C’s do not mind working slowly, being disliked, having to be precise or detailed. These are just a few things that do or do not stress different personality types. Understanding what causes you stress can help you be more aware when those situations are present so that you can either remove yourself from the situation or work on being able to handle it better.