Fifty Ways to Reduce Stress
Women’s Day, Sept. 1, 1986
Avoiding Stress
1) Get up fifteen minutes earlier
2) Prepare for morning the night before
3) Never wear ill-fitting clothes
4) Set appointments ahead
5) Don’t rely upon your memory
6) Practice preventive maintenance
7) Make duplicates of all keys
8) Rearrange work hours if possible
9) Say “no” more often
10) Never shop for clothes with critical teenagers, skinny friends, or those who look terrific in everything
11) Take advantage of off-hours for banking and shopping
12) Rearrange mealtimes
13) Keep an emergency supply of necessities
14) Walk everywhere you can
15) Make copies of all important papers and keep the originals in a safe place
16) Anticipate your needs
17) Don’t put up with anything that doesn’t work properly
18) Make advance reservations
19) Feed the children separately
20) Allow extra time
Reducing Stress
1) Be prepared to wait
2) Never arrange a meeting place that has no telephone
3) Find the humor in it
4) Keep a “busy kit” handy when you travel
5) Relax your standards
6) Get help with the jobs you hate
7) Establish a serene place of your own
8) Change your perspective
9) Count your blessings
10) Keep time fillers by the phone
11) Memorize your favorite poems
12) Keep a supply of individually wrapped candies or sugarfree gum handy
13) Travel light
14) Be prepared for rain
15) Ask questions
16) Take advantage of your body
17) Make contingency plans
18) Unclutter your life
19) Avoid reliance on chemical aids
Relieving Stress
1) Get in touch
2) Take time out
3) Find Enjoyable ways to exercise
4) Get it off your chest
5) Talk to a loving friend or relative
6) Reward yourself after stressful activities
7) Take leisurely baths
8) Schedule more fun
9) Take a break from the children
10) Have a massage
11) Unwind before bedtime
STRESS…
Stress is a motivator, but it becomes destructive when there is too much at one time. These are some tips to consider when feeling the pressure of too much stress:
Signals that indicate stress overload:
Emotions, Behaviors, Physical Symptoms
Impatience
Insomnia
Headache
Fear
Crying
Anxiety
Pain
Muscle Tension
Depression
Eating/Not Eating
Rash
Confusion
Yelling
Fatigue
Frustration
Hitting
Pain in Joints
Anger
Withdrawing
Chest Pains
Over indulging in bad habits
Hyper-activity (extra energy)
Key to Coping with Stress
1) Understand yourself-know your stress signs.
2) Know your strengths or weaknesses as an individual, know your vulnerability and protect yourself.
3) Don’t bury stress, take care of problems as they appear.
4) Change expectations about things.
5) Have a strong support system-Three components of a support system:
a.Someone who knows you historically
b.Someone whom you trust implicitly
c.Someone who will allow you honest expression, non-judgmentally
1) Understand yourself-know your stress signs.
2) Know your strengths or weaknesses as an individual, know your vulnerability and protect yourself.
3) Don’t bury stress, take care of problems as they appear.
4) Change expectations about things.
5) Have a strong support system-Three components of a support system:
a.Someone who knows you historically
b.Someone whom you trust implicitly
c.Someone who will allow you honest expression, non-judgmentally
6) If you can change the situation, try to do so.
7)Take care of your body-meditation, relaxation techniques, eating properly, exercise.
When overloaded, get professional help-that is a sign of strength