Stress Management: How to cope with stress?

A Quick Guide

Experiencing stress is a normal part of our life since we are exposed to multiple stressors on a daily basis. Prolonged stress can negatively affect our physical and mental health. Many people expect to eliminate stress from their life which is not a realistic goal. However, it is essential that we develop skills to manage it. Learning to identify the sources of stress and changing our response to it can prevent the negative consequences, and enable us to cope with stress.

How to cope with stress

A few strategies which can help us to cope with stress are stated as follows:

1. Set realistic targets

When taking upon various tasks, realistically appraise what you can and cannot do. Do not take upon more on your plate than you can handle. Practically assess your ability, your tendency to stay committed & consistent, and the available time to make this decision. Similarly, when deciding daily targets of what you want to accomplish, set SMART goals. In order to prevent stress due to the accumulated left over for work at the last moment.

2. Schedule your day

Schedule your routine with the chores and tasks you want to achieve. For this, make a list of all the tasks and prioritize them according to importance. Do the most important ones first so that you can pace yourself to do the less important ones on another day. Also, allot time for breaks and self-care in this daily schedule.

3. Add physical activity to your daily routine

Give time to your physical health on a daily basis by engaging in light exercise and managing your diet. As this is essential for keeping stress levels in check. Nowadays, many fitness apps are available for this purpose. They allow you to track your sleep changes, eating patterns, stress levels, daily steps, weight loss, and so on. Use these to identify any irregularities and accordingly take steps to overcome them.

4. Keep track of your emotions to cope with stress

In stress, we are susceptible to a lot of negative emotions like anger, anxiety, and depression. These not only affect our thoughts but also our bodies and behavior. Try to be aware of your emotions and channel out the negative ones in an adaptive way. A few strategies for this include journaling, talking to a therapist, practicing meditation, relaxation exercises, seeking help from a friend, etc.

5. Be Mindful of the body

As mentioned earlier, stress activates discomforting physical symptoms in our bodies. Be mindful of these changes to identify stress before it gets too intense. Similarly, practice sleep hygiene to regulate your sleep cycle and track your daily diet to keep your nutrition in a healthy range.

6. Practice Relaxation exercises

In stress, our sympathetic nervous system is highly active and brings symptoms of increased heart rate, sweating, muscle tension, high breathing rate, etc. The parasympathetic system which usually relaxes the body is unable to work effectively to reduce such symptoms. Relaxation exercises like deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation can be used to return physiological symptoms back to normal. Look up the step-by-step guides for these exercises on the Internet and practice them regularly.

7. Practice de-stressing activities to cope with stress

Since stress keeps us on edge, try to come up with de-stressing activities to reduce these feelings. Figure out which activities help you relax and enjoy and practice them. These can include going out with a friend to dinner, watching a movie, listening to songs, going on a hike, painting, and making, etc.

8. Utilize social support

During stress, a lot of us have a tendency to neglect our family and friends. We sacrifice spending time with them to cater to other important tasks. However, this only adds to our stress levels. Whereas, ironically socializing relieves our stress. Take some time out of your daily schedule to socialize and seek help from your loved ones.

9. Be prepared

In many cases, we do not anticipate stressors or prepare for them. So, when they happen, they take us by surprise and we are unable to cope with them. Try to work on your ability to predict and anticipate future stressors. Plan and prepare for them in advance by scheduling your time and resources to deal with them in an adaptive manner. For example, if you know that you have an exam after four weeks, instead of leaving everything for the last moment, start studying four weeks earlier and pace yourself to prevent future stress.

10. Address negative thoughts

People who have high self-efficacy i.e. a high belief in their ability to cope with challenges are less likely to be stressed unlike those with low self-efficacy. The difference lies in their thoughts during stress. So, start trying to identify self-defeating thoughts and I cants. And work on thinking self-empowering thoughts. Counter the automatic negative thoughts and tell yourself that you have the potential to manage any challenges effectively.

11. Use Humor to cope with stress

Humor also moderates stress levels.  Learning to laugh in times of stress can be hard to practice. However, it helps to decrease stress levels significantly. So, turn to comedy to release pent-up stress e.g. Watching stand-up comedy, comedy sitcoms, and funny videos are a few ways.

To find out more about stress, read the related articles in the stress management series.