Stress prevention: tips for guarding against stress

Stress prevention comprises all the steps taken to prevent the challenging sensation of stress. These work on two levels: 

• Behavioural prevention: these approaches strengthen your personal ability to deal with stressful periods and events – for example, with the help of relaxation techniques.
• Contextual prevention: this entails creating external conditions that foster as little stress as possible. 
  

Prevention is therefore aimed at you and your personal environment. Exercise and a balanced diet are just some of the ways you can effectively prevent stress.

The right habits can help you avoid and reduce stress. Several areas are interlinked: relaxation, diet, sleep and exercise. Even small adjustments to your daily routine can make a difference. The following tips will help you get through the day with a greater sense of relaxation.

Relaxation techniques to guard against stress

Reduce stress in everyday life by regularly doing relaxation exercises. Suitable methods include:

• Autogenic training: autogenic training is a good way to prevent stress. This is a form of self-hypnosis that relaxes you.
• Progressive muscle relaxation: progressive muscle relaxation also has a calming effect. It involves tensing different muscle groups, one after the other, and then relaxing them again.
• Mindfulness exercises: mindfulness relieves the mental symptoms of stress. By completing the appropriate exercises, you’ll learn to tune into what’s good for you. You will also strengthen your resilience.
• Yoga and meditation: yoga and meditation also help by making you more relaxed. 

Healthy nutrition to combat stress

Make sure you eat a varied diet. as this can help alleviate stress symptoms. The extent to which people experience stress varies from person to person. However, certain nutrients can support brain function and thus help us to cope better with stress.

• Carbohydrates: eat wholegrain products, potatoes and pulses. These contain carbohydrates and can have a positive effect on mood.
• Vitamins: vitamins A, C and E are also important. You should therefore opt for green and yellow/red vegetables and fruit, as well as making eggs and grains a regular part of your diet.
• Magnesium: magnesium also has a supportive and antispasmodic effect. This is found in oats, cashew nuts and white beans, for example. 

In addition, you should drink about 2 litres of water or unsweetened tea every day. 

Note: a balanced and varied diet helps to combat stress. It is therefore best to follow the Swiss food pyramid and take inspiration from our article: The right nutrition to combat stress.

A good night’s sleep helps combat stress symptoms

If you can recharge overnight, you’ll start the day more relaxed. With our sleep tips, you can ensure a good night’s rest and less stress. Make sure you have a quiet environment at a comfortable temperature and avoid caffeine in the afternoon if you know it will trigger a strong reaction in you. 

Preventing stress through exercise

Exercise can boost your mood: the moments you spend mindfully focusing on your body and movement feel like a little break. Studies confirm that sporting activities release happiness hormones, which put us in a good mood. Exercise regularly. Just a one-hour walk in the fresh air can significantly reduce our feelings of stress. People who exercise regularly sleep better and feel a greater sense of balance overall. Active people also suffer less from anxiety and depression. Additionally, exercise helps to lower the level of cortisol and adrenaline. Stress hormones are broken down during physical activity, which makes us calmer. 

There are various tips for avoiding stress in everyday life. The following will bring more calm into your day-to-day life:

• Create a weekly plan that includes both relaxing (e.g. yoga) and fun activities.
• Consciously incorporate periods of rest into your daily routine.
• Speak openly to those around you if you feel overwhelmed so you can solve problems before acute stress arises.
• Keep a sense of humour: laughter can help ease stressful periods.
• Think about what you are expecting of yourself. Are you setting the bar too high? Are you a perfectionist? Learn to accept failure; it is part of life.
• Accept help if you have too much on your plate. Maybe someone you know can cook or go shopping for you.
• Get up 20 minutes earlier in the morning than you actually have to. This gives you some extra time to ensure a relaxed start to the day. 

By the way, preventing stress in children also starts in everyday life: periods of relaxation, interaction with friends, less time pressure and open conversations about worries with teachers and parents. 

You’re probably familiar with the feeling of never having enough time. Why not deliberately take time for yourself for one week? Our anti-stress programme will help you to do just that.

Sometimes, you can have a stressful week, despite taking preventive measures. In this cases, it’s good to know the typical symptoms of stress, so you can actively take countermeasures and ensure relaxation. Possible signs include:

• Not being able to switch off
• Tension
• Teeth grinding
• Fast heart rate
• Sleep disorders
• Irritability

Look after yourself and take your symptoms seriously. Use them as an opportunity to build periods of relaxation, a balanced diet and exercise into your daily life. 

Life doesn’t always go according to plan: it’s not possible to fully avoid stress. But if you know what triggers it and are mindful, you’ll get rid of it sooner. Once the stress is there, there are different ways to eliminate it using special stress management methods. Try out different approaches and find out what works for you so you can enjoy greater relaxation in your day-to-day life again. 

Stress prevention is an investment in your well-being. The little things have a big impact: breathing mindfully, going for a walk in the countryside or enjoying a cup of tea in the evening. Supplement these routines with exercise, good sleep and a varied diet. Discover what suits you and be patient with yourself: every day offers new opportunities for greater calmness and balance.