Stress Management Tips
Learn. Is stress making you irritable and agitated? Identifying stressors and implementing strategies to reduce overwhelm can help bring back calm and peace to your busy life. You don’t have to put a lot of time or thought into stress relievers.
Change. If your stress is getting out of control and you need quick relief, try one of the tips below.
Move your Body
Almost any form of physical activity can act as a stress reliever. You can walk around the block, do some jumping jacks, shake out your arms and legs, work on an outdoor project, clean your house, ride a bike, or go for a quick run! The point is to move your body to allow stress to dissipate. Physical activity can pump up your feel-good endorphins and other natural neural chemicals that boost your sense of well-being
Eat a healthy diet
Eating a healthy diet is an important part of taking care of yourself. Aim to eat fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and limit sugars, alcohol, caffeine, and fatty foods.
Avoid unhealthy habits
Some people may deal with stress by engaging in unhealthy behaviors. These may include drinking too much caffeine or alcohol, smoking, eating too much, or using illegal substances. Unhealthy behaviors can also include scrolling social media, online shopping, gambling, gaming, and pornography.
Meditate
As you meditate you are focusing your attention on your breath, allowing your thoughts to come and go without attaching to them. Meditating calms your mind and your body as you center yourself and quiet the noise in your mind. Meditation can give you a sense of calm, peace and balance that can help both your emotional well-being and your overall physical health.
You can practice guided meditation, guided imagery, mindfulness, walking meditation, visualization, and other forms of meditation anywhere at any time. For example, you can meditate when you’re out for a walk, riding the bus to work, or waiting at your health care provider’s office. Apps like headspace and calm walk you through guided meditation exercises. Social contact can serve as a healthy distraction and lend support to help you navigate life’s challenges. Take a coffee break with a friend, call or text email a relative, volunteer to help others, or visit your place of worship.
Laugh more
We have all heard that laughter is the best medicine. Laughter changes the chemical responses in your body which causes positive physical changes.
Call your friend that always has a funny story to tell, watch a funny video, watch a comedy or try laughing when you think about a funny memory. Laughing will produce a physiological response in your body that will have a positive effect on your stress response.
Social Connections
When you’re stressed and irritable, you may want to isolate yourself. It is important to connect to others and make social connections with friends and family to combat stress and reduce overwhelm.
Social contact can serve as a healthy distraction, lend support, and help you navigate life’s challenges. Take a coffee break with a friend, call or text email a relative, volunteer to help others, or visit your place of worship.
Set healthy boundaries
Healthy boundaries are an important part of any wellness journey. Everyone has physical and emotional limits. Learning to know your own limits and say “no” when you need to rest, and recharge will help you reduce your anxiety and stress. Saying yes may seem like an easy way to keep peace, prevent conflicts and get the job done right. Putting your needs last can lead to stress, anger, resentment, and even the wish to take revenge. It is important to make your mental health and wellbeing a priority.
Try yoga or Tai Chi
Yoga and Tai Chi bring physical and mental disciplines together that may help you reach peace of body and mind. Yoga and Tai Chi can help you relax and help you ease your stress and anxiety.
Get enough sleep
Stress can cause you to have trouble falling asleep. When you have too much to do — and too much to think about — your sleep can suffer. But sleep is the time when your brain and body recharge. Most adults need about 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night.
Your duration and quality of sleep can affect your mood and energy level. Without rest your brain is unable to focus and function optimally. Check out the sleep hygiene protocol in our coping skills learning center to learn more about quality sleep!
Journaling
Writing down your thoughts and feelings can be a good release for suppressed emotions. Don’t think about what to write about, let it happen. Write anything that comes to mind. No one else needs to read it. Do not worry if you have perfect grammar or spelling. Let your thoughts flow on paper, or on the computer screen. Once you’re done, you can toss out what you wrote or save it to think about later.
Listen to music or get creative
Listening to or playing music is a good stress reliever. Music can provide mental distraction, lessen muscle tension, and lower stress hormones. Turn up the volume and let your mind be absorbed by the music. You can also engage your mind in creating something. You can create a new dessert, paint, draw, make a craft, or work on a hobby that you enjoy.
Grow. It is ok to seek professional help if stress is making it hard for you to cope. If self-care measures aren’t relieving your stress, you may want to think about therapy or counseling. Therapy also may be a good idea if you feel overwhelmed or trapped. You also may think about therapy if you worry a great deal, or if you have trouble carrying out daily routines, or meeting duties at work, home or school. Professional counselors or therapists can help you find the sources of stress and learn new coping tools.