How to Reduce, Prevent, and Cope with Stress
It may seem that there’s nothing you can do about your stress level. The bills aren’t going to stop coming, there will never be more hours in the day for all your errands, and your career or family responsibilities will always be demanding. But you have a lot more control than you might think. In fact, the simple realization that you’re in control of your life is the foundation of stress management.
Managing stress is all about taking charge: taking charge of your thoughts, your emotions, your schedule, your environment, and the way you deal with problems. The ultimate goal is a balanced life, with time for work, relationships, relaxation, and fun – plus the resilience to hold up under pressure and meet challenges head on.
The next two things you should do to cope with stress are:
- Identify the sources of stress in your life:
- Look at how you currently cope with stress:
Unfortunately, many people cope with stress in ways that compound the problem, so at this stage you should ask yourself, how do you truly cope with stress – is it healthy, helplful, productive or is it just the opposite of that? So 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.
Your true sources of stress aren’t always obvious, and it’s all too easy to overlook your own stress-inducing thoughts, feelings, and behaviors; so to identify your true sources of stress, look closely at your habits, attitude, and excuses
