Look at
how you currently cope with stress
Think about the ways you currently manage and cope with
stress in your life. Your stress journal can help you identify them. Are your
coping strategies healthy or unhealthy, helpful or unproductive? Unfortunately,
many people cope with stress in ways that compound the problem.
Unhealthy ways of coping with stress
These coping strategies may temporarily reduce stress, but
they cause more damage in the long run:
1. Smoking
2. Drinking to much
3.Sleeping to much
4.Take pill when stress
5.Family problems
6.Filing up every minute of the day to avoid facing problems
If your methods of coping with stress aren’t contributing to
your greater emotional and physical health, it’s time to find healthier ones.
There are many healthy ways to manage and cope with stress, but they all
require change. You can either change the situation or change your reaction.
When deciding which option to choose, it’s helpful to think of the four As:
avoid, alter, adapt, or accept.
Since everyone has a unique response to stress,
there is no “one size fits all” solution to managing it. No single method works
for everyone or in every situation, so experiment with different techniques and
strategies. Focus on what makes you feel calm and in control.
Dealing with Stressful Situations: The Four A’s
Change the situation:
Avoid the stressor
Alter the stressor
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Change your reaction:
Adapt to the stressor
Accept the stressor
|
Stress management strategy #1: Avoid
unnecessary stress
Not all stress can be avoided, and it’s not healthy to avoid
a situation that needs to be addressed. You may be surprised, however, by the
number of stressors in your life that you can eliminate.
Learn how to say “no” – Know your limits and stick to
them. Whether in your personal or professional life, taking on more than you
can handle is a surefire recipe for stress.
1.Avoid people who stress you out – If someone
consistently causes stress in your life and you can’t turn the relationship
around, limit the amount of time you spend with that person or end the
relationship entirely.
Take control of your environment – If the evening news
makes you anxious, turn the TV off. If traffic’s got you tense, take a longer
but less-traveled route. If going to the market is an unpleasant chore, do your
grocery shopping online.
2.Avoid hot-button topics – If you get upset over
religion or politics, cross them off your conversation list. If you repeatedly
argue about the same subject with the same people, stop bringing it up or
excuse yourself when it’s the topic of discussion.
3.Pare down your to-do list – Analyze your schedule,
responsibilities, and daily tasks. If you’ve got too much on your plate,
distinguish between the “shoulds” and the “musts.” Drop tasks that aren’t truly
necessary to the bottom of the list or eliminate them entirely.