How to Cope with Stress

Guide Note

Coping with stress is a crucial life skill that will help you manage crises at work and in your personal life. Though stressful situations can be draining and frustrating, learning a few key coping mechanisms will help you through difficult times.

Table of Contents

Coping with Stress Tips

  1. Keep a "stress journal" to learn what triggers your stress and to brainstorm how you might limit those triggers.
  2. Train yourself to minimize negative thinking and prioritize tasks so you aren't stressing about the small stuff.
  3. Try unplugging from technology every so often to clear your mind.
  4. Learn to rely on a social support system that includes friends, family, co-workers, and even pets.
  5. Try relaxation techniques like deep breathing exercises, yoga, and meditation to reduce stress.
  6. Engage in hobbies, exercise, or other activities you enjoy.
  7. Remember that belly laughs and even smiling will send triggers to your brain to relax and enjoy the moment.

Disclaimer

The content in this page is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please contact your doctor before using the information presented here.

Introduction

Step 1: Understand Your Triggers

  • One of the first steps to coping with stress is just figuring out where it's coming from.

Learn What Causes Stress

(Photo by Gözde Otman)
(Photo by Gözde Otman)
  • Understanding the root of some of your anxiety will help you fight it.
  1. Particular industries are notorious for creating high stress environments. Law, finance, fashion, and entertainment are all considered high pressure careers.
  2. Caring for an elderly parent can be a particularly trying experience. If you fall into this category, be sure to seek support early and often.
  3. Remember that even "good" changes, like moving to a new home or starting an exciting new job, can be stressful.
  4. Worries can arrive with a shaky financial market, leading you to worry about your investments and future retirement.
  5. Even kids experience stress because of difficult situations at school or with friends.
  6. And it should go without saying that any sudden trauma or loss can create acute stress.

Evaluate Your Situation

  • Learning to identify your triggers will help you conquer at least some of them.
  1. Keep a "stress journal," in which you write down any situations or experiences that caused you stress. Documenting these events in your life for ten to fifteen minutes a day can help you figure out what it is you find stressful, and may provide a certain release of its own.
  2. You'll probably see a pattern of situations that seem to cause the most stress, showing you what you need to work on first.
  3. Evaluate your stress level with WebMD's interactive tool.
    • This test will help determine whether you're suffering from short-term or chronic stress, both of which can cause health problems.1
  4. Also consider the ways you currently cope with stress to see if what you're doing is helping. If not, it's time to learn better coping skills.

Step 2: Manage Your Stress

  • It may be easier said than done, but some causes of stress can be controlled and even eliminated.

Time Management

(Photo by Jamie Brelsford)
(Photo by Jamie Brelsford)
  1. Prioritize tasks, and work on the most important things first.
    • Using a planner can help you stay on top of your to-do list.
  2. Learn when to delegate projects to someone else.
  3. Avoid over-committing to too many obligations. It's okay to have time to yourself!
  4. Maintain a routine. Keeping a set schedule will create order in your life, leaving you less stressed or worried about the future.
  5. Being prepared is another way to tackle stress before it gets you down.
    • If you have an upcoming job interview, for example, or you know you are going to have to come face-to-face with someone you find particularly intimidating, practice beforehand so that you are ready for the situation.

Managing Stress at Work

  • In some jobs, stress will never go away completely. But you'll need to learn to manage it the best you can.
  1. First and foremost, identify what at work is causing your stress. Determining the primary source(s) of your work-related stress will help you form the right solution for getting it under control.
  2. Try to communicate regularly with your boss to get a sense of your performance and to confirm his or her expectations of you.
  3. Talk to your supervisor about how to better equip yourself for success at work, whether that means a more comfortable chair or a quieter work area.
  4. At work (and in your personal life, as well), stop trying to be a superhero. Be realistic about what needs to be accomplished and how.
  5. Instead of focusing on all the myriad things that need to be accomplished, do one task at a time. As you go through your list, checking things off will help you feel more relaxed and ready for the next task.
  6. If you're in a particularly stressful industry, check out what advice experts in these fields had to share with the Huffington Post.
  7. And don't forget to "unplug" every so often. Turn off your computer, your cell phone, and your P.D.A. so that you can recharge your batteries.
    • The unplug movement is quickly gaining popularity for those who need a break from technology on a regular basis.
  8. If you feel that no amount of relaxation techniques will reduce your at-work stress level, it may be time to quit and look for another job.

Personal Adjustments

  • Adjusting your attitude can help you cope.
(Photo by Melodi T)
(Photo by Melodi T)
  1. Try to reduce negative thinking.
  2. You also have more control over your environment than you think.
    • For example, if you hate lines at the grocery store, try going early in the morning.
    • Or ask your boss if you can work a more flexible schedule to avoid rush hour traffic.
  3. If it's possible, spend less time with people who create stress for you, whether it's a co-worker who drives you crazy or an ex-boyfriend you think you need to remain friends with—people in your life who automatically make your palms sweat are people you should avoid.
  4. If it's the state of the economy that's keeping you up at night, check out CNN Money's ideas on how to reduce anxiety in a down market.
    • Saving money so you know you can get through any rough patches can relieve your worried mind.
  5. If your kids are the ones who are having trouble coping, they need adults to listen and suggest activities that will help them relax.

Take Care of Yourself

  • Staying healthy helps you combat stress.
  1. Make sleep a priority. Sleeplessness leads to more stress, so be sure you are getting enough shut-eye each night so you can face the day.
  2. The same is true for eating a healthy diet (which means three meals a day!).
    • Denying your body the nourishment it needs because you're "too busy" and "too stressed" to eat a meal is only going to generate more problems in the long run.
  3. Make sure your coping mechanisms aren't actually causing you additional stress: too much alcohol and caffeine, for example, may temporarily relieve stress but will ultimately make it harder for you to learn to cope in a healthy manner.

Step 3: Build Your Support System

(Photo by Fira Anuar)
(Photo by Fira Anuar)
  • Whether social, spiritual, or personal, a support system is crucial to how well you are able to combat stress.
  1. Interacting with family, friends or co-workers will help you feel better about yourself, less lonely, and more secure. And talking (or laughing, or crying) with your support system, whether it's a group of friends, a counselor, or family members, helps relieve stress.
  2. To be sure your peers will be there for you in a stressful time, it's crucial to maintain communication with them. Invite someone you think could be a good friend to have coffee or lunch.
  3. Laughter might even be a short-term solution to your stress, so be sure to find a group of friends you can share jokes and a few belly laughs with when you get together.
  4. If you've moved to a new city or are having difficulty finding people you connect with, don't give up:
  5. While it's important to find friends with similar interests, you don't want to surround yourself with pals who encourage bad behavior to get through a rough time, like excessive drinking.
  6. And don't forget that while your social support system is critical to your tough times, you need to be available to help them, too.

Step 4: Learn to Relax

Ways to Relax

  1. Schedule downtime into your daily routine. Whether this means taking a bath or going for a walk, make sure you carve out this important time for yourself.
  2. WebMD has breathing exercises and "progressive muscle relaxation" tips to help you calm down.
  3. Don't forget that yoga and aromatherapy are helpful in combating stress.
  4. Self-guided meditation is a proven stress reliever. See Mahalo's guide to How to Meditate to learn more.
  5. Exercise is a stress reducer as well.
  6. See Mahalo's page on Relaxation Techniques to learn more ways to calm yourself down.

Take a Break

  1. Some people have found that volunteering helps them forget about their own personal problems. See Mahalo's guide to How to Volunteer to learn more.
  2. Avoid obsessing about a stressful situation. If you found Hurricane Katrina particularly upsetting, for example, don't torture yourself by reading every article and watching every news program about it.
  3. Remember that even smiling, whether you mean it or not, will help relieve stress.
  4. Sometimes you really do need to take a vacation, or at least a long weekend, to recharge your batteries.
  • NOTE: If your stress becomes truly unmanageable, you should seek professional help, particularly if you think you may be suffering from PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder).

Conclusion

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Resources for How to Cope with Stress

References for How to Cope with Stress

  1. ↑ WebMD: Interactive Tool: What Is Your Stress Level?