Stress Management Strategies

Here are some practices to help reduce overall stress levels and prepare you for stressful situations. Regularly engage in both mental and physical exercise. Your mental and physical muscles need training to prepare for times of heavy lifting, much like going for practice runs to prepare for a big race. Prioritize sleep and taking breaks. You need rest in order to perform your best, both mentally and physically. Maintain a healthy and balanced diet. Your brain and body need fuel to function properly. High-quality fuel leads to high-quality functioning. Moderate caffeine consumption. Caffeine can increase feelings of anxiety and agitation. Avoid substance use as a means of coping. Substance use will not alleviate a negative emotion. Substances cloud your ability to think clearly in the moment, which can trick your brain into momentary distraction from the true source of your negative feelings. This is not a healthy or effective coping mechanism. Develop a practice of self-care. Prioritize personal wellness to build resilience against tumultuous times. Keep up a social life. Social interactions are a great way to keep your mind active. Community building promotes brain health as well. Minimize your screen time. Putting down your phone or computer before going to bed and spending more quality time with those you love will improve your brain health tremendously. In fact, extended periods of screen time are linked to an increased risk of mental health conditions. Practice breathing exercises and meditation. These are great ways to slow down your body and brain when you start to feel a stress response coming on. Name your emotions. Recognizing that you are experiencing sadness, fear, anger, etc., allows distance from the intensity of feeling the emotion. Learn assertiveness training skills. State your thoughts and feelings in a polite and direct way. For example, "I feel angry when you use that tone of voice. Could you use a different tone?" Rehearse stressful situations. Prepare for specific moments that give you stress, such as practicing a difficult conversation in the mirror or attending a speech class if public speaking is a source of stress. Identify and decrease negative self-talk. When you notice a negative thought, challenge it by pointing out illogical thought patterns. "I got a bad grade and therefore I am stupid and will never have good grades" may become, "I got a bad grade, maybe I should have studied a little more because I am smart and capable of greatness." Take breaks. Remove yourself from stressful situations and engage in a calming activity so that your mind and body have time to de-escalate from stress. When you return in a calmer headspace, you will likely handle the situation better. Don't sacrifice good for perfect. Learn to feel satisfied from doing a good enough job instead of constantly demanding perfection from yourself. These techniques can help a lot to minimize stress both in the moment and in the long term. Practicing these coping strategies as often as you can is a great way to prepare yourself for when you need them. These interventions, however, may not be sufficient in some cases and professional help may be necessary to alleviate negative thoughts and feelings. Implementing these techniques will not eliminate stress overnight. Keeping your brain healthy requires consistency and patience. Stress is inevitable. You can learn to cope, understand, and more easily move beyond it by developing healthy habits and coping strategies.