Everybody experiences stress. It’s the body’s natural reaction to tension, pressure and change. A certain amount of stress helps to make life more challenging and less boring. However, too much stress can be bad for you – both physically and mentally. Prolonged, unrelieved stress can lead to accidental injury, as well as to serious illness. For the sake of your health, safety, and happiness, it is important to recognize and manage stress before it gets the best of you.
The free Rahe test is one quick way of estimating your chance of serious illness based on stressors in your life. Another way of determining if your current stress is too much stress is to ask yourself, “If I carry on and make no change how will I be in six months?” Below is a listing of twenty ways to possibly manage stress. The YouLearn Counselling Centre also offers a more indepth look at stress using a process called Stress Mapping that will assist you in labelling your stressors and deciding on an effective method of dealing with too much stress. If you are interested in any of the information presented here or would like to complete a FREE stress map please see your school counsellor.
20 Ways to Manage Stress
1. Think positively and surround yourself by others who think the same.
2. Avoid the trap of demanding too much of yourself. Get help if tasks are too big for you.
3. Accept that you can not control every situation and learn to be flexible.
4. At the start of each day, write down your list of things to do, then set reasonable priorities.
5. Divide big tasks into smaller, more manageable ones.
6. Eat a well balanced diet, full of whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Limit sugar.
7. Get plenty of sleep each day.
8. Include moderate exercise into each day to boost your energy level and improve your mood.
9. Make time for relaxation. Try listening to soothing music, meditating, gardening, playing with a pet, reading a good book, or doing whatever helps you relax.
10. Avoid tobacco, alcohol, and drugs. They only make matters worse.
11. Use mistakes and setbacks as opportunities to learn.
12. If possible, say “NO” to tasks that you know will be stressful for you.
13. Confide in at least one friend, and share your disappointments, as well as achievements with him of her. Talk things out so that minor frustrations do not build up.
14. Be ready to admit when you are wrong.
15. Eliminate everyday sources of stress such as loud music playing or clutter in your surroundings.
16. Laugh! Look for humour in life and take time to have fun.
17. Remember, its okay to cry.
18. Practice deep breathing. Get in a comfortable position. Take in a slow, deep breath through your nose to the count of 5. Hold your breath for another 5 count. Then exhale through your mouth to the count of 5.
19. Prolonged sitting contributes to stress, so add activity to your every day life by doing such simple things as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, standing or walking while on the telephone, etc.
20. Make anti-stress stretches part of your day.
If you are interested in learning more about anti-stress stretches or any part of dealing with stress please make a confidential appointment with our school counsellor.
