Dear Katie,

Stress. Ugh. Stress is an inevitable part of life, much to everyone’s dismay. From school, to family, to friendships, stressors have the ability to totally knock you out and keep you down if you let them. The key is learning how to first recognize the things causing you stress in your life and then, secondly, taking action either in the form of eliminating the stressor or managing its effect on you. Let’s walk through these steps so that the next time you are stressed, you do not crawl into bed and pretend like your stress cannot find you under your blankets (this doesn’t work… trust me I have tried), but are ready to tackle it head on!

1. Recognize your Stressors: it would be pretty hard to deal with your stress if you did not know what it was stemming from, right? Sometimes, you may notice your body’s reaction to stress before you really think about what is causing it. I personally tend to hold my stress in my shoulders and neck, making for a super painful situation! In that case, journaling or quiet reflection is a really good tool to go through the potential stressors and discern your feelings for each of them. If you start making a list of things in your life, for example, and get to the point where you write down “Jane”, you may realize that particular relationship is not the best it can be and could be creating stress. Other times, you know exactly what is causing the stress without really having to investigate, and that’s okay too.
2. Take Action: ELIMINATE: can you eliminate the stressor? If the answer is yes, then ask yourself, “what am I waiting for?” If a toxic relationship is hurting your well being, it is time to let that go. If you have simply taken on too many responsibilities and have an overflowing plate, back off and limit your commitments because you quite simply cannot do it all. If you find your stress is coming from your cellphone, take a few hours a day to detox and relax uninterrupted by technology. You get the point… cut negativity and stress out of your life wherever possible. Be selfish and put your health first.
3. Take Action: MANAGE: Let’s be honest, it is not always possible to eliminate sources of stress (dropping out of school is typically frowned upon,). Most of the time, we need to suck it up and work through it. In these cases, it is helpful to have a set of tools to manage stress that you can always fall back on. Here are some of my favorites and ideas that you can add to your “toolbox”.

• Breathe. 10, deep, cleansing breaths. I love this gif.

  

• Yoga.Sneak in a yoga class. One hour later, you will feel refreshed.
• Talk About It! Lean on your friends and family to share how you are feeling. Never hold it in.
• Make a List. If you are overwhelmed with the sheer amount of tasks facing you, make a list, rank things in order of priority, and start checking things off.

 

• Stay Organized. Staying organized with a planner and keeping up with your schoolwork can eliminate unnecessary stress. Did someone say color coding? Yes, please.

• Healthy Choices. Eat full, balanced meals and work out to trigger some endorphins.

Above all else, remember that all stress is temporary. Things will always get better, and you are strong enough to make it through.

until next time,

 

 

 

 

“It is not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it” – Hans Selye