Healthy Living

 

 

 

 

 

Preventing and Dealing with Stress

 

Tips to Prevent Stress

  • Be aware of what causes stress in your life and, if possible, try to not put yourself in stressful situations. When you can’t avoid stress, the best thing you can do is to cope with it in a healthy way.
    For example:
    • Do things with others and take time just for yourself everyday. Taking this little bit of time to relax and have fun will keep you happier and lower your stress level.
    • Take good care of your health by eating well and exercising regularly. You might also want to learn new ways of relaxing your body and your mind. For example, try doing tai chi, yoga, meditation, breathing and stretching exercises, or have a friend give you a massage.
    • Laugh a lot! Find something funny to read, watch or listen to. Laughing is your body’s natural way of releasing stress.
  • Don’t procrastinate. If procrastination causes stress in your life, learn to stop putting things off. Deal with tasks and problems as they come up so that they don’t pile up and stress you out. Sometimes it can help to schedule your time so that you know you are doing the things you need to do. Also schedule time to do things you enjoy doing.
  • Don’t use alcohol and drugs to avoid dealing with stress. It only makes you feel worse.
  • Make lists of things that are on your mind so you can get them out of your head. Later, have a look at them and think about what you need to do about the things you’ve written down.
  • Don’t try to do everything at the same time. When people take on too many responsibilities it usually causes them a lot of stress. Do less and learn to say “no”!
  • Ask for help and accept it when it’s offered. Trying to do everything on your own, especially with small children, can be very stressful and make you feel lonely, unhappy and resentful. If you have a lot going on, ask a friend or family member for some help. For example, ask your friend to pick up your child after school so that you have time to work out, shop for groceries or clean up.

 

Tips on Dealing with Stress

Sometimes stress is impossible to prevent and comes on unexpectedly. This is why it’s important to know how to calm yourself down without having to think about it too much. Calming down in stressful situations can be hard, so whatever you do to reduce your stress level should be simple and easy to remember and follow.

  • Identify the source of your stress; it’s the first step in learning how to manage it.
  • Breathe deeply!                                                                                 
  • Don’t react. Instead take a ‘time out’ to calm down before doing or saying anything. Simply think or say to yourself, “I feel stressed right now so I’m going to take a walk to clear my mind and calm down”. Then do it.
  • Talk things out with friends or family members.
  • Use your sense of humor and keep things light. Try to find the humour in the situation and laugh it off.
  • Put things in perspective by remember the big picture and the good things that are going on in your life.
  • Remove yourself from stressful situations and change your mind. This could involve leaving the house to take a walk, reading a book, listening to music, or helping someone do something.

Get professional help if you find it too hard to deal with stress on your own.

  

 

For more information on preventing and dealing with stress please visit the following websites:

BC Health Guide
http://www.healthlinkbc.ca/kbase/topic/special/rlxsk/sec1.htm

HereToHelp.BC.CA (BC Partners for Mental Health and Addictions Information)
http://www.heretohelp.bc.ca/publications/factsheets/stress

Canadian Mental Health Association
http://www.cmha.ca/english/coping_with_stress/

Heart and Stroke Foundation
http://www.heartandstroke.bc.ca/atf/cf/%7B1656a53f-c2fb-4d7a-af3d
9df9f391b9bb%7D/HEARTHEALTHHANDBOOK.PDF

 

Sources: Heart and Stroke Foundation.
http://www.heartandstroke.bc.ca/atf/cf/%7B1656a53f-c2fb-4d7a-af3d
9df9f391b9bb%7D/HEARTHEALTHHANDBOOK.PDF
BC Health Guide: Stress Management.
http://www.bchealthguide.org/kbase/topic/special/rlxsk/sec1.htm
Canadian Mental Health Association:
Coping With Stress. http://www.cmha.ca/english/coping_with_stress/