Managing Stress

As you learn to manage stress, you’ll sleep better at night. And you’ll experience calmer, happier days.  You should also notice that your appetite is better controlled, which will help you manage your weight more effectively.  So why not learn to manage stress?

Here’s what you can do right now:

List stressful situations. Write down the things that cause you the most stress, along with the level of stress they cause (1 to 10, 10 being the most) and how they affect you such as keep you awake at night or make your heart pound.

Take control.  What’s on your list that you can do something about? Remember, you can’t control everything like traffic jams or how a coworker treats you. But you can control how you react to the stressors. Instead of getting worked up during morning rush hour traffic, use the time in your car to listen to a book on tape or at work, practice letting go of feelings regarding an irritating coworker.

Conquer small challenges. Even overcoming small situations can help you feel more in control of your life. Pick one or two of these suggestions and try them.

• Assign some of your household chores to other family members.
• Sign up for community services to help you care for an elderly parent.
• Practice time management so you’ll be able to eat a healthy breakfast every day.
• Start planning early for something you really want – create a budget and stick to it.

Learn to say no. If there are things at home or at work that you just can't or don't want to do, let them go, if possible. And don't commit to new things just because you feel you have to. Say no to heading up a new project or let someone else run the PTA or organize the block party.

Set limits. For everything that falls outside your priority list, ask yourself, "What's the worst thing that would happen if I didn't do this?" If you can live with the answer, then drop it from your 'to do' list.

Reframe stressful situations.  There are stressors that never seem to go away.  But we can choose to look at them differently.  Many stressful situations are actually opportunities for spiritual growth. (See the article Spirituality and Stress.)