AVOID
A lot of needless stress can be simply avoided.
Take control of your surroundings. Are you constantly late for class? Find a different route to take. Hate waiting in the lunch line? Pack your lunch.
Avoid people who bother you. If another student is constantly getting on your nerves, try sitting far away from them and avoiding them in the hallway.
Learn to say no. You have a lot of responsibilities and demands on you. At a certain point, you cross the line between being charitable and being foolish. Don't take on a second sport because your friends or parents want you to. Don't sign up for every extracurricular activity at school. Those around you will appreciate more time with a relaxed you and you'll have time to enjoy them too.
Ditch part of your list. Label your to do list with A's, B's, and C's in order of importance. If it's a hectic day, scratch the C's from your list.
Just remember: A certain amount of avoidance is healthy, but some problems can't be overlooked. For those situations, try another technique.
ALTER
One of the most important things you can do in times of stress is to take inventory, then attempt to change your situation for the better.
Respectfully ask other people to change their behavior and be willing to do the same. Small problems often create larger ones if they aren't resolved. If you are tired of being the butt of your friend's joke at gatherings, then ask them to leave you out of the comedy routine. In return, be willing to enjoy their other jokes and thank them for humoring you.
Communicate your feelings openly. Remember to use "I" statements, as in "I feel frustrated by the lack of group effort on this project we're doing. What can we do to balance the workload out and get a good grade?"
Manage your time better. Organize your day so that like tasks are clumped together. Group your writing work, group your chores, etc. You will most likely end up with extra time.
State limits in advance. Be proactive. Instead of being irritated by a classmates non stop chatter, politely start the conversation with "I've got only 5 minutes before I need to .....".
Accept
Sometimes we have no choice but to accept things the way they are. For those times, try to....
Talk with someone. You may not be able to change a frustrating situation, but that doesn't mean your feelings don't matter. You 'll feel better after talking it out.
Forgive. It takes energy to be angry. Forgiving may take practice, but by doing so, you will free yourself from burning more negative energy. Why stew in your anger when you can shrug and move on?
Practice positive self talk. It's easy to lose reason when you're stressed. One negative thought can lead to another and soon your create a mental avalanche. Be positive. Instead of thinking, "I am horrible on tests and will never get an A on one," try this, "If I study harder next time and really learn the material, I may do better."
Learn from your mistakes. You can't change the fact that waiting to study til the night before resulted in a bad grade on your test, but you can realize that by changing the habit, you can do better next time.
ADAPT
The perception that you can't cope is actually one of the greatest stressors. That is why adapting- which often involves changing your standards and expectations- can be most helpful in dealing with stress.
Adjust your standards. Do you really need to redo your IXL assignment over and over until you get 100% when you already got 90%?
Redefine success and perfection and you may operate with less guilt and frustration.
Practice thought-stopping. Stop gloomy thoughts IMMEDIATELY. Refuse to replay a stressful situation as negative and it may cease to be negative.
Reframe the issue. Try looking at your situation from a new point of view. Instead of feeling frustrated that you can't go outside because it's raining, look at it as an opportunity to catch up on homework or play a family board game or get yourself organized.
Adopt a mantra. Create a saying such as, "I can handle this" and mentally repeat it in tough situations.
Create a positive things list. Imagine all the things that bring you joy in life- pets, friends, family, sports. Then read the list when you are stressed. It will put things into perspective and serve as a reminder of life's joys.
Look at the big picture and ask yourself, "Will this matter to me in a year?" "In 5 years?" The answer is often no. Realizing this makes a stressful situation seem less overwhelming.
Share your experiences or thoughts on these 4 A's of stress relieve. When have you used one or are you planning on trying it out? Write it in the comments section below.
A lot of needless stress can be simply avoided.
Take control of your surroundings. Are you constantly late for class? Find a different route to take. Hate waiting in the lunch line? Pack your lunch.
Avoid people who bother you. If another student is constantly getting on your nerves, try sitting far away from them and avoiding them in the hallway.
Learn to say no. You have a lot of responsibilities and demands on you. At a certain point, you cross the line between being charitable and being foolish. Don't take on a second sport because your friends or parents want you to. Don't sign up for every extracurricular activity at school. Those around you will appreciate more time with a relaxed you and you'll have time to enjoy them too.
Ditch part of your list. Label your to do list with A's, B's, and C's in order of importance. If it's a hectic day, scratch the C's from your list.
Just remember: A certain amount of avoidance is healthy, but some problems can't be overlooked. For those situations, try another technique.
ALTER
One of the most important things you can do in times of stress is to take inventory, then attempt to change your situation for the better.
Respectfully ask other people to change their behavior and be willing to do the same. Small problems often create larger ones if they aren't resolved. If you are tired of being the butt of your friend's joke at gatherings, then ask them to leave you out of the comedy routine. In return, be willing to enjoy their other jokes and thank them for humoring you.
Communicate your feelings openly. Remember to use "I" statements, as in "I feel frustrated by the lack of group effort on this project we're doing. What can we do to balance the workload out and get a good grade?"
Manage your time better. Organize your day so that like tasks are clumped together. Group your writing work, group your chores, etc. You will most likely end up with extra time.
State limits in advance. Be proactive. Instead of being irritated by a classmates non stop chatter, politely start the conversation with "I've got only 5 minutes before I need to .....".
Accept
Sometimes we have no choice but to accept things the way they are. For those times, try to....
Talk with someone. You may not be able to change a frustrating situation, but that doesn't mean your feelings don't matter. You 'll feel better after talking it out.
Forgive. It takes energy to be angry. Forgiving may take practice, but by doing so, you will free yourself from burning more negative energy. Why stew in your anger when you can shrug and move on?
Practice positive self talk. It's easy to lose reason when you're stressed. One negative thought can lead to another and soon your create a mental avalanche. Be positive. Instead of thinking, "I am horrible on tests and will never get an A on one," try this, "If I study harder next time and really learn the material, I may do better."
Learn from your mistakes. You can't change the fact that waiting to study til the night before resulted in a bad grade on your test, but you can realize that by changing the habit, you can do better next time.
ADAPT
The perception that you can't cope is actually one of the greatest stressors. That is why adapting- which often involves changing your standards and expectations- can be most helpful in dealing with stress.
Adjust your standards. Do you really need to redo your IXL assignment over and over until you get 100% when you already got 90%?
Redefine success and perfection and you may operate with less guilt and frustration.
Practice thought-stopping. Stop gloomy thoughts IMMEDIATELY. Refuse to replay a stressful situation as negative and it may cease to be negative.
Reframe the issue. Try looking at your situation from a new point of view. Instead of feeling frustrated that you can't go outside because it's raining, look at it as an opportunity to catch up on homework or play a family board game or get yourself organized.
Adopt a mantra. Create a saying such as, "I can handle this" and mentally repeat it in tough situations.
Create a positive things list. Imagine all the things that bring you joy in life- pets, friends, family, sports. Then read the list when you are stressed. It will put things into perspective and serve as a reminder of life's joys.
Look at the big picture and ask yourself, "Will this matter to me in a year?" "In 5 years?" The answer is often no. Realizing this makes a stressful situation seem less overwhelming.
Share your experiences or thoughts on these 4 A's of stress relieve. When have you used one or are you planning on trying it out? Write it in the comments section below.