- Breath! Inhale slowly and exhale slowly. Do this seven or eight times whenever stress strikes.
- Distancing yourself from people who stress you out and create more problems for you.
- Cultivate acceptance - accept the things you cannot change; take action to change the things you can; and develop the wisdom to know the difference.
- Exercise. Yoga is ideal for stress relief.
- Eat healthy meals.
- Practice gratitude.
- Take things one step at a time, one hour at a time, one day at a time.
. . . NOT SKILLFUL WAYS TO COPE WITH STRESS . . .
- Giving up.
- Blaming others.
- Catastrophizing – thinking and envisioning the worst possible outcome.
- Ignoring the stress.
- Withdrawal and isolation.
- Substance abuse.