4 Ways to Deal With Stress and Insomnia

It is not difficult to understand why stress and insomnia go hand in hand. When one is under a lot of stress, and is not taking successful steps to control that stress, sleep is just one of the secondary conditions that may arise.

There are many factors that can cause stress such as a new job, a death of a loved one or feeling like you have more responsibility than you can handle. It is possible to be under a lot of stress and not even realize it. Below are some of the most common symptoms of stress.

* Sudden inability to sleep

* Waking frequently during the night

* Finding it difficult to concentrate, even on simple tasks

* Rapid heart rate

* Headaches and muscle aches

* Stomach pain

* Mood swings

Of course, many of those symptoms can be caused by something other than stress, but if you have had a major life change or are feeling overwhelmed, you should consider the possibility that stress is the cause.

When stress and insomnia are both present, it can make the stress even worse. If you look again at the list of symptoms you will see that many of them sound similar to symptoms of insomnia.

Just the stress alone can bring on mood swings and fatigue. Add insomnia and it will only serve to make those symptoms even worse. When that happens, the stress level is likely to increase and a vicious cycle is in place.

While, in an ideal world, the advice may be to eliminate the factor that is causing the stress, the fact is that usually that is not possible. Instead, you must learn to deal with your stress and insomnia in ways that will minimize their impact on your emotional and physical health. Below are some stress management tips.

* Avoid negative people. This is not always possible, but when you do have control choose to be around people that make you happy.

* Learn your limitations. You cannot do everything that is asked of you and you will never be able to please everyone. Stop trying. Instead, do those things that you need to do and then add extras, such as volunteering, in areas that are important and meaningful to you.

* Learn time management. Why can some people hold a job, raise a family, keep the house spotless and still have time for a night out? It's because they learned about time management.

* Forget trying to be perfect. Everything does not have to be in its place. You do not have to raise the most money, get the most new clients and never burn dinner. Just learn to laugh at some of your faux paux.

If your own attempts to deal with stress do not work, you should see a doctor or therapist for help. If left untreated, stress and insomnia can cause serious health problems.

Stress and insomnia can each be made worse by the other. Learn to deal with them both so that you can be your best for yourself and your family.
by: Paul Stevens
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Terapi Alami untuk Atasi Stres

PADA umumnya, olahraga memberikan segudang manfaat. Tak hanya secara fisik, tapi jiwa pun merasakan ketenangan dan rasa rileks usai anggota tubuh aktif bergerak.

Namun, bukan berarti Anda harus berlari di atas alat treadmill selama berjam-jam atau ikut kelas high-impact aerobic untuk menurunkan tingkat stres yang tengah melanda. Mengapa tidak mencoba satu dari ketiga terapi alami yang berfungsi satu paket dengan olahraga lengkap. Baik pikiran maupun tubuh Anda akan lebih kuat mengatasi datangnya stres. Lantas, apa saja terapi alami tersebut? Berikut ini seperti diulas Health24.

Tai Chi

Tujuan dari pelaksanaan olahraga yang telah berusia 8000 tahun ini adalah menyelaraskan tubuh dan pikiran melalui meditasi dalam gerakan lambat dan anggun. Tai Chi berdasarkan filosofi Tao dari yin (dingin, gelap, energi negatif) dan yang (panas, cahaya, energi positif), dua jenis kutub energi yang diyakini ada dalam segala sesuatu di alam semesta.

Tujuan dari Tai Chi adalah menyeimbangkan energi. Dengan demikian, saat keseimbangan alami tubuh dan pikiran didapat, stres pun berkurang. Dengan berfokus pada gerakan yang dikendalikan, pikiran Anda teralihkan dari ketegangan atau stres yang sedang Anda dialami. Tai Chi merupakan latihan yang dianjurkan untuk mengatasi gangguan stres yang terkait dengan sakit kepala, sakit maag, bahkan untuk para penderita kanker di China.

Teknik Alexander

Terapi ini dikembangkan 100 tahun yang lalu oleh seorang aktor Australia bernama Frederick Alexander. Teknik Alexander akan mengajarkan Anda bagaimana menghadapi situasi sehari-hari secara fisik, termasuk bagaimana Anda duduk, berjalan, ataupun mengangkat sesuatu.

Tujuan terapi Alexander untuk me-recharge tubuh Anda, membuat Anda bernapas lebih baik, serta memilki ketenangan seperti yang Anda rasakan ketika masih kanak-kanak dulu. Dengan memerbaiki postur tubuh seseorang, teknik Alexander selanjutnya akan mampu menghilangkan gejala stres secara fisik, seperti nyeri punggung dan ketegangan otot di leher.

Pilates

Pilates dengan cepat mencapai tingkat popularitas yang sama seperti yoga. Pilates dirancang pada 1920 oleh Joseph Pilates sebagai cara untuk memulihkan luka-luka dan menjaga para penari tetap fit. Pilates menggabungkan sistem pegas dan katrol untuk memperpanjang otot dengan latihan peregangan di lantai.

Baik Tai Chi maupun pilates sama-sama berfokus pada teknik pernapasan. Pilates, seperti halnya teknik Alexander, juga secara dramatis memerbaiki postur tubuh dan me-recharge tubuh Anda. Anda akan merasa lebih sehat dan rileks. Selama latihan peregangan, energi dilepaskan untuk membantu menghilangkan stres dan ketegangan otot.(ftr)
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