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v Identify the cause of stress: Monitor your state of mind throughout the day. If you feel stressed, write
down the cause, your thoughts, and your mood. Once you know what’s bothering you, develop a plan for
addressing it.

v Build strong relationships: Relationships can be a source of stress. Negative, hostile reactions can cause
immediate changes in stress-sensitive hormones. But relationships can also serve as stress busters. Reach
out to family members or close friends and let them know you are having a tough time. They may be able to
offer support, useful ideas, or just a fresh perspective as you begin to tackle whatever is causing your stress.
v Walk away when you are angry: Before you react, take some time by counting to 10. Then reconsider.
Walking or other physical activities can also help you work off steam.

v Get help from professionals: If you continue to feel overwhelmed, consult a professional who can help you
identify situations or behaviours that contribute to your chronic stress and then develop an action plan for
changing them.

Stress Management Strategies

Stress Management strategies are the strategies that help us to manage stress. Some of the common used
strategies are:

Avoid Unnecessary Stress

Not all stress can be avoided, and it is not healthy to avoid a situation that needs to be addressed. You may be
surprised by the number of stressors in your life that you can eliminate.

v Learn how to say “no”: Know your limits and stick to them. Taking on more than you can handle is a sure-
fire recipe for stress.
v Avoid people who stress you out: If someone consistently causes stress in your life and you cannot turn the
relationship around, limit the amount of time you spend with that person.
v Take control of your environment: If the evening walk makes you anxious, turn to the treadmill. If traffic’s
got you tense, drive on a longer, but less-traveled route. If going to the market is an unpleasant chore, do
your grocery shopping online.
v Avoid hot-button topics: If you get upset over religion or politics, cross them off your conversation list.

Alter the Situation

If you cannot avoid a stressful situation, try to alter it. Figure out what you can do to change things so the
problem doesn’t present itself in the future.
v Express your feelings instead of bottling them up: If something or someone is bothering you, communicate
your concerns in an open and respectful way. If you don’t voice your feelings, resentment will build and the
situation will likely remain the same.
v Be willing to compromise: When you ask someone to change their behaviour, be willing to do the same and
then you will have a good chance of finding a happy middle ground.
v Be more assertive: Don’t take a backseat in your own life. Deal with problems head on, doing your best to
anticipate and prevent them. If you’ve got an exam to study for and your chatty roommate just got home,
say up front that you only have five minutes to talk.

v Manage your time better: Poor time management can cause a lot of stress. When you are stretched too thin
and running behind the schedule, it is hard to stay calm and focused. So, plan ahead and make sure you
don’t overextend yourself.

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