Test Stress

How to Reduce Stress: Coping with Stress

Key to managing stress is to remember that stress not inherent in any event; it lies in how we perceive that event. And remember: « You need enough tension in your violin string to make music, but not so much that the string snaps ».

Reduce Stress: 18 Best Tips for Managing Stress

1. Eliminate “solutions” that impair your health such as tranquilizers, sleeping pills, alcohol and cigarettes.

2. Recognize short-term solutions such as shouting, crying, or taking a hot bath, to be what they are – short-term.

3. Prioritize your tasks into “essential”, “important”, and “trivial”. Follow that order for completing tasks. Consider dropping all the “trivials”. Take one thing at a time.

4. Try to be happy with a less than perfect performance from yourself.

5. Change your internal language. Instead of saying “I have to…” say “I choose to…”. Instead of getting down on yourself, support yourself the way you would support your best friend.

6. Learn to organize your time. There are many classes and books available on time management.

7. Take care of your body. Eat well, get enough sleep, and exercise regularly.

8. Learn to accept what you cannot change. If the problem is beyond your control now, try to let go of it until you can change it.

9. When you feel stress setting in, observe your body and learn where it hits, what happens first. The earlier you can recognize stress signals, the easier it is to change your behavior and stop the progress of the stress.

10. When you are stressed, choose fight or flight. Hiding your anger is more stressful than expressing it but choose your fights. Make sure it’s worth it.

11. Work off stress. If you are angry or upset, try to blow off steam physically by running, biking, etc. Physical activity gives you a “fight” out-let for mental stress.

12. Learn relaxation techniques and practice them regularly. Bio feedback, meditation, and counting to ten are useful techniques.

13. Keep a journal. Observe when you are stressed, the causes, your responses and the outcomes. Make some observations about which techniques are most helpful.

14. Share your concern with someone – a friend, a parent, and/or a counselor.

15. Do something for others. Sometimes when you are too distressed, you tend to focus on yourself. When you find this happening, consider doing something for someone else and get your mind off yourself.

16. Develop a hobby or interest that you really enjoy and one which is totally separate from your academic work. Allow yourself to pursue it.

17. Develop preventative, long-term strategies for dealing with stress (i.e., nutrition, relaxation, and regular exercise) and immediate, responsive techniques (i.e., assertiveness training) to deal with events and episodes that come up.

18. Don’t wait for the “When you can relax”- learn to relax now, before that day comes.

Reduce Stress: How to Cope with Stress

Best techniques that work for stress relief

Everyone feels stress at times- but there are things you can do to minimize stress and manage stress that is unavoidable.

Healthy Living:

• Exercise on a regular basis (try for 30 min/day about 3-4 days per week)
• Eat well balanced meals, 3 times per day
• Get enough sleep and set up a regular sleep routine- adolescents need 9-10 hours of sleep per night
• Avoid illegal drugs, alcohol, tobacco and excess caffeine

Healthy Thinking:

• Don’t worry about things you can’t control- ex. Weather
• Look at change as a positive challenge
• Positive thoughts and positive self talk
• Set realistic goals
• Meditate

Healthy Actions:

• Prepare well in advance for events that may be stressful- ex. Test/Project
• Ask for help from friends, family, teachers, professionals
• Take breaks for daily stress with time with friends, fun activities and/or group sports
• Work to resolve conflicts without anger and losing temper
• Solve problems one at a time- take one task at a time
• Avoid over scheduling- prioritize activities

Identify Stressful Situations:

Ex. Preparing for an exam, test taking, doing homework, writing papers, working on a project, making a public presentation, talking to other peers, asking question in class.

Stress: Top 2 Stress Reducing Exercises

Two exercises you can do to alleviate stress: deep breathing and muscle relaxation. These take a little practice, but are exercises you can use anywhere to try to relax and reduce stress.

Deep breathing to reduce stress:

Lie down on flat surface or sit in comfortable chair with arms by sideband feet on floor. Breathe in slowly through your nose over 3 seconds feeling your stomach rise and your chest expand. Breathe out slowly through your nose and/or mouth over 3 seconds feeling your stomach go down and your chest contract. Repeat until you feel relaxed and tension drain out of your body.

Muscle relaxation to reduce stress:

Start with one group of muscles (usually your feet), hold it tight for a few seconds and then release. Then move to the next group of muscles (ex. Lower legs) and do the same thing. Work your way up through your legs, abdomen, chest, hands, arms, shoulders, neck and face muscles. You should feel the tension drain out of your body and leaving you feel heavy and relaxed.

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