Strategies for Stress Management

""

If you are currently experiencing a life-threatening emergency, please call 911 or go to the nearest hospital emergency room immediately. If you’re thinking about harming yourself, call the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, or the 24-hour National Suicide Prevention Lifeline toll-free at 1-800-273-8255 to be connected to a trained counselor at a suicide crisis center nearest you. For youth under the age of 18, call the Division of Child and Family Services’ (DCFS) Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT) at 702-486-7865 in Southern Nevada or 775-688-1670 in Northern Nevada.

Signs of Excessive Stress

Physical

  • Rashes/skin problems
  • Stuttering/stammering
  • Low energy levels
  • Frequent headaches/body aches
  • Abnormal weight gain or loss
  • Bruxism (grinding teeth)
  • High or low blood pressure
  • Low resistance to common colds/flu
  • Muscle tension
  • Missed menstrual cycles
  • Shortness of breath
  • Pounding heart
  • Upset stomach/indigestion
  • Circulatory and/or respiratory disorders
  • Abnormal or increased sweating
  • Backaches

Behavioral

  • Nervous habits
  • Racing thoughts/obsessive thoughts
  • Change in social habits
  • Sleep difficulties
  • More minor accidents/accident prone
  • Urge to run/hypermobility
  • Procrastination/paper shuffling/”cycling out” at

Emotional

  • Anxiety/panic
  • Defensive/argumentative
  • Irritability/continual frustration
  • Experiencing continual boredom
  • Mood swings
  • Difficulty in expressing an emotion
  • Feelings of inadequacy or rejection
  • Feeling things are getting out of control
  • Overpowering urge to cry

Mental/Cognitive

  • Memory slips/forgetfulness
  • Indecisive/vacillating in decision-making
  • Excessive worry/anticipating the worst
  • Rigidity in thinking
  • Disorganized thinking
  • Poor time management
  • Poor priority setting
  • Inner confusion about duties or roles
  • Excessive talking/fidgeting

Strategies for Stress Control

Physical

  • Breathe
  • Take a hot bath
  • Reduce environmental toxins (noise, lights, people)
  • Watch intake of sugar, salt, caffeine, alcohol
  • Exercise regularly
  • Practice relaxation
  • Get a hobby
  • Listen to music
  • Make good scents

Emotional/Cognitive

  • Laugh (or cry) – both are healing
  • Reframe (problem vs. opportunity)
  • Learn the vocabulary of emotions
  • Examine your expectations
  • Set goals and evaluate progress
  • Learn anger management/conflict resolution skills
  • Seek professional help if you get “stuck”
  • Keep a journal
  • Regulate what you read and watch.

Spiritual

  • Do something for someone else
  • Meditate (be still – and listen)
  • Make a gratitude list
  • Practice affirmations (3 p’s – personal, present, positive)
  • Write down what you value in your life
  • Let who you are and what you do be enough for today

Relaxation exercises

  • Assume a comfortable position; close the eyes.
  • Relax your muscles, beginning at the feet and moving up to the face and scalp. Keep them relaxed.
  • Breathe deeply, visualize the color green and think this thought: I am relaxed.
  • Breathe deeply, visualize the color blue-green and think this thought: I am more relaxed than before.
  • Enjoy being relaxed. Slowly count backward mentally from 50 to zero. At zero, count to five, breathe deeply, stretch and open the eyes.

If you’re feeling irritated, frustrated, angry or worried, etc., you might try the following exercise

  • Close the eyes. Empty the mind; drain it of ill will.
  • Say to yourself: “I now fill my mind with peace, love, and light.” Visualize each one.
  • Take three deep double breaths. Breathe in and breathe in again. Then a long exhale.
  • Focus on slow inhalations in and out through the nose.
  • Breathe easily and naturally and continue to think “inner peace” for 5-10 minutes.
  • When finished, sit quietly for a few minutes with the eyes closed and then with the eyes open.

Positive Suggestions to Help Lessen Your Stress

Understanding yourself

  1. Listen to your body signals.
  2. Use feedback from other people.
  3. Be honest with yourself.
  4. Discover what you can control in your life and what you cannot.
  5. Become aware of how you react to situations.

Developing healthy attitudes

  1. Positive thinking.
  2. Learn to accept what you cannot change.
  3. Realize you’re human - not perfect.
  4. Learn to love yourself.
  5. Live in the present.
  6. Be grateful.
  7. Learn the value of leisure time.
  8. Learn to say “no.” You cannot do everything.

Ten Stress Busting Tips - Be completely present for whatever you’re doing.

  1. Include something you consider beautiful in your life on a daily basis. For example, fresh flowers.
  2. As often as possible, participate in activities you enjoy.
  3. Keep your pace relaxed - that includes when walking, working and eating.
  4. Take a break after meals to relax.
  5. Go outside once a day if possible, and enjoy the simple things in life - the scenery, the weather, etc.
  6. Take notice of tension in your body. Breathe deeply and gently, stretch any area that feels tense.
  7. When anxious, breathe deeply and focus on things around you.
  8. Wear comfortable, loose clothing whenever possible.
  9. Don’t hold your feelings in day after day. Find a safe place where you can express and embrace them.