If your're stressed- and personally, I can't name one person who isn't...
1. Breathe
- the fastes, most effective way to cope w/ stress
- focus on taking deep belly breaths whenever the stress level creeps up
2. Self- Talk
- every minute, we say 150-300 words to ourselves, 80% of this is usually negative!
- make a positive statement about yourself. pause. accept the compliment
- visualize success
3. Get some (much needed) sleep
- don't have caffeine/ nicotine too close to bedtime
- same goes for food
- keep bedroom a comfortable temperature (cool is usally good)
- exercise during the day, not before bed
- warm bath/shower before bed (aromatherapy enhances this!)
- catch up on the weekend but not more than 2-3 hrs past normal wake-up time (otherwise your sleep-wake cycle gets even more confused)
- don't view sleep as being lazy!
- try not to watch tv, be on the computer etc. just before bed
4. Exercise
- aim for 30 min. of moderate physical exercise a couple of times/week (if you're too busy, try substituting w/ things like walking instead of driving)
- posture: stand up straight, head up, shoulders down and back, tilt pelvis, tighten butt - this sends an anti- stress message to your body and sends a message of confidence to people you're talking to
5. Say No
- strong boundaries are key to managing stress, think about what kind of life you want and protect that vision
- learn to say no to doing other favors all the time, take some time out to yourself- people will not like you any more just b/c you always say yes
6. Fuel Yourself with Healthy Food and Plenty of Water
- avoid the blood sugar roller- coaster
- good nutrition gives you much needed energy
7. Smile and Laugh
- smiling and laughing trigger chemicals in your braind and body that make you feel better
8. Date Yourself
- schedule some personal time for yourself every day
- read, write in a journal, listen to music, go for a walk
9. Be an Artist
- explore your creativity, boosts self- esteem and promotes problem- solving
- everyone is an artist- it's just a matter of finding your medium!
10. Progressive Muscle Relaxation:
- working up from your toes, tense and relax each group of muscles
- breath in as you tense and breath slowly out as you relax
- excellent strategy when you're too stressed to fall asleep (which is not fun at all b/c you stress even more b/c you can't fall asleep)
Note: I didn't come up w/ these points, I only added a few comments and made a few revisions. I would love to give credit to its source but it's from a handout I received years ago from a Peer Counselor Training
1. Breathe
- the fastes, most effective way to cope w/ stress
- focus on taking deep belly breaths whenever the stress level creeps up
2. Self- Talk
- every minute, we say 150-300 words to ourselves, 80% of this is usually negative!
- make a positive statement about yourself. pause. accept the compliment
- visualize success
3. Get some (much needed) sleep
- don't have caffeine/ nicotine too close to bedtime
- same goes for food
- keep bedroom a comfortable temperature (cool is usally good)
- exercise during the day, not before bed
- warm bath/shower before bed (aromatherapy enhances this!)
- catch up on the weekend but not more than 2-3 hrs past normal wake-up time (otherwise your sleep-wake cycle gets even more confused)
- don't view sleep as being lazy!
- try not to watch tv, be on the computer etc. just before bed
4. Exercise
- aim for 30 min. of moderate physical exercise a couple of times/week (if you're too busy, try substituting w/ things like walking instead of driving)
- posture: stand up straight, head up, shoulders down and back, tilt pelvis, tighten butt - this sends an anti- stress message to your body and sends a message of confidence to people you're talking to
5. Say No
- strong boundaries are key to managing stress, think about what kind of life you want and protect that vision
- learn to say no to doing other favors all the time, take some time out to yourself- people will not like you any more just b/c you always say yes
6. Fuel Yourself with Healthy Food and Plenty of Water
- avoid the blood sugar roller- coaster
- good nutrition gives you much needed energy
7. Smile and Laugh
- smiling and laughing trigger chemicals in your braind and body that make you feel better
8. Date Yourself
- schedule some personal time for yourself every day
- read, write in a journal, listen to music, go for a walk
9. Be an Artist
- explore your creativity, boosts self- esteem and promotes problem- solving
- everyone is an artist- it's just a matter of finding your medium!
10. Progressive Muscle Relaxation:
- working up from your toes, tense and relax each group of muscles
- breath in as you tense and breath slowly out as you relax
- excellent strategy when you're too stressed to fall asleep (which is not fun at all b/c you stress even more b/c you can't fall asleep)
Note: I didn't come up w/ these points, I only added a few comments and made a few revisions. I would love to give credit to its source but it's from a handout I received years ago from a Peer Counselor Training
