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Chronic stress can damage both mental and physical health. Being chronically stressed may leave you feeling fatigued, sap your ability to concentrate, and cause headaches and digestive difficulties. People prone to irritable bowel syndrome often find that their symptoms spike with psychological stress. Though acute stress can heighten certain immune responses, the wear-and-tear of chronic stress is bad for the immune system.
- Alcohol, nicotine and caffeine may temporarily relieve stress but have negative health impacts and can make stress worse in the long run.
- One way to regain a sense of control when you are diagnosed with depression or a related illness is to educate yourself about your illness.
- Mindfulness meditation is a stress-management technique focusing on the present moment without judgment.
- When you’re focused on the here-and-now, you won’t be able to ruminate about something that already happened and you can’t worry about something in the future.
- Minimizing the chronic stress of daily life as much as possible can support your overall health.
One commonly used activity is the ABC sheet, which is based on CBT and helps patients understand the relationship between their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Here we provide a concise list of methods that can be used to cope with stress. Feeling tired will increase your stress because it may cause you to think irrationally. Ask yourself how important it will be in the long run.
Creating communities that help support neurodiverse children
Learning to say no or being willing to delegate can help you manage your to-do list and your stress. Healthy boundaries are important in a wellness healthy ways to cope with stress journey. Social contact is a good stress reliever because it can offer distraction, give support, and help you put up with life’s up and downs.
- Choosing an activity that you enjoy may help increase your chances of sticking to it in the long term.
- Self-care looks different for everyone, and it is important to find what you need and enjoy.
- Consider spending less time worrying and stressing over your limited social circle and finding ways to connect with others.
- You don’t have to completely alter your lifestyle to improve your ability to handle stress.
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all option when it comes to stress relief, however. By Amy Morin, LCSW
Amy Morin, LCSW, is a psychotherapist and international bestselling author. Her books, including “13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do,” have been translated into more than 40 languages.
Strategies to cope with family stress
Joining a choir or a gym also helps some people relax. People with chronic stress are at risk of having a final breakdown that can lead to suicide, violent actions, a heart attack, or stroke. Acute stress does not cause the same amount of damage as long-term, chronic stress. Short-term effects include tension headaches and an upset stomach, as well as a moderate amount of distress.
Figure out what are the biggest causes of stress in your life. If you’re able to identify what they are, see if you’re able to eliminate them from your life, or at least reduce them. If things are bothering you, talking about them can help lower your stress. You can talk to family members, friends, a trusted clergyman, your doctor, or a therapist. Get comfortable, close your eyes, and place one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest. Now, exhale through your nose and pay close attention to how your body relaxes.
Healthy Coping Skills for Uncomfortable Emotions
Acceptance may be difficult, but in the long run, it’s easier than railing against a situation you can’t change. Try to view stressful situations from a more positive perspective. Rather than fuming about a traffic jam, look at it as an opportunity to pause and regroup, listen to your favorite radio station, or enjoy some alone time. It’s not healthy to avoid a stressful situation that needs to be addressed, but you may be surprised by the number of stressors in your life that you can eliminate. If negative thoughts overwhelm your ability to make positive changes, it’s time to seek professional help. Make an appointment today—your health and life are worth it.
Emotional eating and reaching for high-fat, high-sugar foods can provide a temporary sense of relief that adds to your long-term stress. So it’s important to create a lifestyle that will help you ward off stress and deal with challenges in a healthy way. Emerging research suggests certain scents can alter brain wave activity and decrease stress hormones in the body. Just focusing on your breath or changing the way you breathe can make a big difference to your overall stress level. Breathing techniques can calm your body and your brain in just a few minutes. Progressive muscle relaxation involves relaxing all the muscles in your body, group by group.
Healthy Ways to Cope with Stress: 9 Methods
In some cases, that may mean changing your behavior or creating a plan that helps you know what action you’re going to take. For example, do you wish you had a better work-life balance? It might be useful to make an action plan to schedule more family time. Coming to terms with the fact that you can expect a certain amount of stress in your life may make it easier to cope when life throws you a curveball.
Unhealthy coping techniques—such as drinking or avoiding the problem—may offer some temporary relief, but they tend to make things worse in the long run. These unhealthy tactics can also lead to other problems that create more stress and make coping more difficult. Problem-based coping skills focus on changing the situation, while emotional-based coping skills are centered on changing how you feel. Knowing which approach is right for a specific situation can help you deal with stress more effectively.