Once you perceive a stressor as out of your control, it has the
potential of having a more significant impact on you.
Signs and symptoms of stress may become more pronounced and there
may more adverse affects on your health.
Thus, it is important to take control of what you can and to do so
in positive ways.
A good place to start is to manage your own response to the stressor
by calming yourself down (see #4 below).
2.) Choose the positive actions you will take
The simple act of consciously choosing what you will do in
response to the stressor can help you begin to take control in the
stressful situation.
Choose actions and coping strategies that are helpful and life
affirming.
See the Creating Balance handout in this toolkit for an
extensive list of ideas.
3.) Change your negative thinking
Catching and stopping your negative thinking is essential to
stress management and overall emotional health.
See the Thought-Feeling-Action Connection and Rapid Stress
Management handouts in this toolkit for more ideas.
Once you've caught yourself thinking negatively, take a deep
breath and replace the negative thought with more realistic
thinking.
4.) Practice deep breathing
Deep breathing is possibly the single most important
component of a stress management plan.
See the Deep Breathing handout in this toolkit for a
description the benefits of practicing deep breathing. Also
included there is a guide to the practice of deep breathing.
5.) Increase your activity level
Increasing physical activity is an excellent way to
manage stress and improve your overall health.
There are many different ways to increase one's
activity level, from aerobic exercise to yoga to simply
doing household chores.
It's important to choose something that is good for
your body and fits your lifestyle.
If you have any medical issues or health problems
please consult with a physician before beginning an
exercise program.
Once you are ready to start,
click here to access numerous resources on exercise.
