How To Cope With Stress
Stress is a natural, necessary part of life. It's how you react to it that matters. Stress can be good - too much cortisol and adrenaline in the body can help us to cop with difficult times like finals or a job interview. Too little, and we're laid low by depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues.
Nothing is 100% stress free and the world would soon be in a state of war. All we can do is learn how to live with it, how to deal with the ups and downs of life, and how to cope with stress.
I've picked out a few tips for you that I consider essential for coping with stress; some that you can use at school or work, others that you might find useful in your personal life too:
1) You can't cure mental health issues just by doing something physical. If you're not sleeping well, don't expect to be able to keep your grades up. If you're not eating well, don't expect to feel like doing that mountain of essays.
2) Remember that it's natural to feel bad sometimes. Just because life isn't going the way you planned it doesn't mean that there's anything "wrong" with you. Even if a lot of people around you seem to think differently; just remember that some other people are facing even tougher problems than yours and they're still getting on with things, so why should you feel any less capable?
3) Focus on your strengths and try not to put too much pressure on yourself. The more you pressure yourself, the less you'll be able to cope with anything that comes your way.
4) Talk to someone who knows how you're feeling. You might not like what they have to say, but at least they'll be able to help you think through things and offer advice.
5) If you can, talk it out with someone else; a friend, a family member (or their parents), or a counsellor perhaps. Sometimes we just need some other perspective on what we're going through and it helps us sort things out in our heads better than we could on our own. Everyone's different though; there are some people who are more open and some who are harder to talk about things with. Just remember that you don't have to dive into things and tell everything from the start if you don't want to; all you need is one thing that triggers the memory (like a smell or a color) and you'll be able to remember most of it.
6) Focus on getting in balance before you focus on getting things done. We've written an article about how to get in balance; check it out here. Remember, if your body isn't in balance, your mind won't be either!
7) Take some time out. Leave work and go for a walk, go outside at lunchtime, lean back and watch the clouds go by (if they're doing anything interesting).
8) Cut out bad foods. Try to eat according to the Glycemic Index and what you really feel like eating. Avoid processed food, chemical flavours , etc.
9) Drink water when you're thirsty and get some exercise if you can: it'll help you keep your mind focused, keep yourself hydrated, and give you a good mood!
10) Go for a walk on a rainy day; it'll help boost your mood for sure. Stick to nature walks that are relatively short so that you don't get bored easily.
11) Don't fight it. If you're feeling really low, don't try to "be a warrior." Try to see things from the perspective of someone who's just been through a tough relationship break-up or some major life event; why would it be fair for you to be in a battle with stress when all of your friends are cleaning up after a funeral, having their contracts reviewed, or giving back-to-back presentations in front of whole teams?
12) Get some sleep! Most people need 7-8 hours and more than that can seriously mess with your body's natural hormones and lead to feelings of tiredness and lethargy.
13) If you're having a major melt-down, try not to solve things right then and there. You won't be thinking straight and you'll probably say something you wish you hadn't or do something that's not really in your best interests (you might burn a bridge, tell off your boss, or hurt someone close to you). Instead, get some sleep or take some time off and see things from a different perspective the next day. It may sound counter-intuitive but it works!
14) Look after yourself. That means rest, nutrition, exercise, hydration and good company. If you're not doing what's good for you, it'll show in your work and eventually in your health too.
15) Take a break from technology; phones, computers, TV, etc. I know it can be hard with the latest smartphone coming out every year and the influence that television has on us but try to do something else for a while. For me, it helps to listen to some music or go for a walk outside.
16) Try some nature therapy; take a walk in the woods or along the riverbank (or stream), plant trees with friends or family, climb a tree and just relax for a while (or if you don't like heights then read under one).
17) Stretch after a long day; the muscle tension works its way out through the movement.
18) Help others. Volunteering, donating time, money or goods will do you good. The feeling you get of helping others and being useful to your community is really nice and it may also help you feel better about yourself and your life in general too.
19) Spend some time outdoors doing things that bring you pleasure: painting, writing poetry, looking at photos or film (if you still have a camera), drawing (or even just tracing by hand). These things all have a meditative effect - they slow down time and make you feel like there's more to life than work/school/diet etc.
20) Tell yourself a story. It might sound stupid but it can help you to cope. If nothing else, a story gives you something to look forward to and focus on in the future (like going on a holiday or winning the tennis match).
21) Take care of your body; take regular showers, get some exercise and eat well. All of these things can help your mind and body feel better, let you sleep better and give you more energy for work or play!
22) Take stock.
Conclusion
I hope you found this article useful. I appreciate everyone's different circumstances, experiences and ways of coping so I can't write a definitive guide to how to tackle stress and anxiety, but hopefully you've found some things here that might help. Always ask yourself; what are my strengths? How can I focus on them? What are the things that I have that others don't and can I use them to encourage myself?
Also remember not to think too much about the things you don't have or haven't done yet; think about the things that you do have, need or want and work out what will help you be happy when that comes along.
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How To Cope With Stress