How to Apply the 4 A's of Stress Relief to Your Life

Stress relief begins by knowing specific techniques that you can apply to your life every day.

We can never totally get rid of all of our stress, but we can learn ways of decreasing it, and dealing with it. This can help to prevent stress-related illnesses, and ensure you live a healthier life.

1. Avoid

Avoid the stressful situation altogether. For example, if you find driving during rush hour causes you undue stress, then you should make other arrangements for transportation at that time. Or perhaps socializing with a particular couple causes you a lot of stress, then it is better to stop spending time with this couple.
Do not take on everything that comes your way. There are many good committees that could use your help, but you need to learn that it is not in your health's best interest to be on all of them.

2. Alter

Alter the way you approach things during your day. When you cannot avoid a situation, then you need to alter it. For example, if you are a list maker, then make sure to prioritize tasks that must be done that day, and those that can always be done on another day. Remind yourself that Rome was not built in one day either!
Change the way you do things. For example, if grocery shopping causes you stress, then you can alter the situation by phoning in your order and having the groceries delivered to your home, or by going shopping when fewer people are in the store.

3. Accept

You need to be able to identify when something is not in your control. You have probably heard of the Serenity Prayer that states you need to accept the things you cannot change, have courage to change the things you can, and have the wisdom to know the difference. This can be applied perfectly to reducing stress in your life. So many people get all worked up about things that they have no control over. If you can accept what you do not have control over, it can go a long way in your stress relief efforts.
For example, if you are a farmer, you must be accepting that you have no control over the weather. Accepting this can go a long way in relieving stress. This does not mean that you just have to sit back and hold all your frustration in. Instead, be sure to speak with someone else who understands what you are going through.

4. Adapt

If you cannot change the situation, then you need to learn how to adapt to it. Life is full of ongoing changes, and the earlier you learn this, the less stress you will experience. It helps if you can look at the positive things that can come out of a new situation, rather than the negative. For example, if a beloved co-worker is retiring, this could be very stressful for you. However, if you can look at the positive things that could come out of this such as working with a new person who could become your friend too, this can help alleviate some of the stress you are feeling.

In summary, the four A's of stress are to avoid, alter, accept, or adapt to situations. If you can apply what the four A's teach you, you can find some stress relief in your life.