Stress is non-discriminating, and integral part of everyone’s life. Coping with stress comes naturally for all of us. We successfully deal with most of our stressful experiences. The problem is that we tend to use a skill or two over and over again. It is important to develop a whole set of skills to chose from. It may also help to combine them. Because stress affects the whole person, stress management skills need to make use of our mind, body and spirit. Below are some things to consider:
Physical skills:
- Relaxation: letting go of tension
- Biofeedback: listen to your body’s needs. If your body is tired, get some sleep.
- Nourishment: eating healthy: small, nutritious & frequent meals
- Self care: treating yourself well and making sure we meet our needs
- Exercise, Stretching and taking breaks
Mental skills:
- Time management: set aside time to do things that are important to you
- Problem solving: address issues consistently, ask for help when needed
- Life planning: clarify your short and long term goals and take small steps to move forward them
- Organizing: seek some order in your life
- Re-labeling: changing your perspective. See the promise in every problem.
- Imagination: Whenever possible, see the humor in life’s ironies; Think outside of the box. Be creative.
Spiritual skills: (believing in yourself and a higher power)
- Commitment: invest yourself meaningfully
- Seek meaning and purpose in your life
- Surrender: let go; acknowledge things/situations you cannot control
- Valuing: identifying who and what’s important
Family skills:
- Balancing work and home
- Togetherness: spend quality time with those you care about
- Conflict resolution: look for solutions where everyone wins
- Flexibility: stay open to change
- Networking: use your support systems
- Esteem building: help each other grow, inspire change
Interpersonal skills: (strong relationships)
- Affirmation: believe in yourself, trust others, see the positive
- Contact: invest in others, form satisfying relationships
- Expression: share and show feelings
- Linking: share your troubles with family, friends, support group
- Assertiveness: be direct about your needs
- Limits: set personal boundaries, accept boundaries from others
Diversion Skills: Discovering creative means of escape including:
- Learning: take a class, appreciate art, read and investigate
- Music: learn to play an instrument, dance
- Work: volunteer
- Getaways: daydream, do things alone
- Hobbies: create something
- Play: have fun & laugh
The best way to build your repertoire of coping skills. You can get excited about change. You can begin to develop new habits one step at the time. Remember you have the power to chose how you’ll deal with stressful situations; It is not about what happens to you but how you react to it.
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