When you are experiencing periods of stress, there are several factors that you should consider in dealing with the situation. It may be helpful to follow three steps for managing stress.
Relax in a healthy way. It is much harder to respond to a challenge when stress is interfering with clear thinking. Relaxation is the first step in coping with stress. Healthy strategies for relaxation include:
Relaxation exercises
Meditation exercises
Breathing exercises
Taking a warm bath or shower in a calming environment
Spending time with a pet
Physical activities, such as walking, biking or working out
Complementary or alternative treatments (massage, yoga, biofeedback)
Spiritual activities, such as praying or reading inspirational words
Engaging in a hobby or enjoyable activity, such as drawing or playing an musical instrument
Adopting a positive attitude (e.g., “I can handle this”)
Writing in a journal or confiding to a friend
Listening to soothing music or relaxation tapes
Watching television or a movie
Attending a support group
Visiting a comforting place (e.g., beach, park)
It is important to understand the difference between the healthy strategies listed above and unhealthy strategies. Unhealthy strategies include the overuse of alcohol, the abuse of prescription or illegal drugs, smoking, overeating, violence, and yelling at or verbally abusing others. Such choices not only avoid the primary issue, but also create more problems than were present initially.
Identify the stressor. This can be fairly straightforward if you just received a diagnosis or a recommendation for a test or procedure. At other times, you might be feeling a general sense of sadness or even doom that you cannot identify. Stressors may be due to external and internal factors. External stressors can include your job, your home environment and challenges you face. Internal factors are your body's way of dealing with stressors. They can include your general physical strength, your emotional stability and even your nutritional status. Take some time either by yourself or with someone you trust to help you identify the external causes and the way you internally deal with the stress.
Address the problem. This means identifying which aspects of the situation are within your control and taking action to change them. This could include lifestyle changes, time management, organizational skills and environmental factors. It also means identifying which aspects of situations are beyond your control. This concept is particularly challenging for many people. Accepting what you cannot change means accepting the countless factors, including many illnesses, death, the behaviors of other people, time, and various mechanical problems. It is vital for your emotional and physical health to learn ways to accept and handle these situations.
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