- Perform diaphragmatic or “deep breathing” exercises.
- Lie face down on the floor and begin breathing deeply and slowly, with your hands resting under your face. Do this for five minutes.
- Sit in a reclining chair. Put a hand on your abdomen and a hand on your chest. As you breathe, make sure the hand on your abdomen is moving up and down rather than one on your chest. If the hand on your abdomen is moving you are breathing deeply and slowly.
- Try progressive or “deep muscle” relaxation. Progressively tense and relax each muscle group in your body. Learn the difference between muscle tension and relaxation.
- Meditate. Use visualization. Sit quietly with your eyes closed, imagining the sights, sounds and smells of your favorite place, such as a beach or mountain retreat.
- Exercise regularly or take up yoga.
- Consult a psychologist about the use of biofeedback.
- Make time for music, art or other hobbies that help relax and distract you.
- Learn to identify and monitor stressors. Come up with an organized plan for handling stressful situations. Be careful not to overgeneralize negative reactions to things.
- Make a list of the important things you need to handle each day. Try to follow the list so you feel organized and on top of things. Put together a coping plan step by step so you have a sense of mastery.
- Keep an eye on things that might suggest you’re not coping well. For example, are you smoking or drinking more or sleeping less?
- Keep a list of the large and little hassles in your day versus the major stressful events in your life; this helps you focus on the fact that you’re keeping track of and managing those as well as you can.
- Set aside a time every day to work on relaxation.
- Avoid caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, junk food, binge eating and other drugs.
- Say no occasionally.
- Get the right amount of sleep. For most people, this is seven to 10 hours a night.
- Cultivate a sense of humor; laugh.
- Research has shown that having a close, confiding relationship protects you from many stresses.
- Don’t run from your problems! This only makes them worse.
- Talk to your family and friends. See if they can help.
In general, if you are having trouble handling stress, you can seek help from your family physician or a mental health professional-such as a psychiatrist or psychologist-in your area.
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