Stress Management

General Guidelines

Stress is unavoidable.  How we think about it and how we react to it make all the difference in how it impacts our self-care and our overall health.  There are many things you can do to help you manage stress and improve your overall health.  

SELF MANAGEMENT TIPS

• Connect with others on a regular basis: a Zoom/call with a friend, lunch with a neighbor, hanging out with family.

• Get involved in activities you find stimulating: a sport, a hobby

• Become a member of a group: a fitness facility, a social cause, musicians.

• Volunteer: when we help others it gives us a different perspective about our own challenges.

• Try different healthy ways to relax (music, exercise, dance, meditation or yoga)

• Make time and take time for fun, creative activities or hobbies

• Keep a gratitude journal or write about stressful events

• Take care of your spiritual needs.

• Make time to laugh (comedy, joke books etc)

• Avoid caffeine and alcohol.

• Try deep breathing techniques.

• Get a massage.

​

MANAGING A NEGATIVE EMOTION/FEELING

Getting better at dealing with a negative emotion will help you become less prone to stress when faced with a challenge.  Consider the following steps:

​

1. NOTICE IT:  When you are faced with a negative feeling/emotion take a mental step back and acknowledge that it's there.

2. NAME IT:  Give it a name, literally - for example: Dead Car Battery!

3. ACCEPT IT: Don't judge/rate it... just accept it for what it is.

4. EXPERIENCE IT: Lean into it - what's going on, how it's making you feel/react.  Then step back and look at it from a distance.  Switch back and forth a few times as needed to experience the situation fully.

5. APPRECIATE IT: Thank your emotions for doing their job.... telling you a need is not being met and alerting you to do something about it.

6. CONNECT: Reach out to a friend, loved one or someone else as needed to help you through the situation.

7. BE SELF-COMPASSIONATE: Have a calm heart and mind. Lift yourself away from ruminating / judging / critiquing.... be kind to yourself as you deal with the challenge.

8. BE CURIOUS:  Identify the need that is not being met - what is this telling you, what are you learning from the situation? 

9. ADRESS IT: How are you going to address the problem?  Fix it / get help and fix it.

10. HAVE A GROWTH MINDSET:  What did you learn from this experience?  How will it help you in the future?  If it's happened before, are you dealing with it better this time around?

11. CHANGE THE CHANNEL: Shift away from the negative and find a moment to be positive - leverage music, nature, a pet, a cup of tea, a short walk outdoors, a friend/companion etc.