Get tips to help you manage stress in a healthy way — so you can take on the day.

Stress can show itself in many ways. When something stressful
happens, you may feel anger, frustration, sorrow, disbelief, guilt or
disappointment. You can probably add other emotions to this list.
You can’t always control what happens around you. But you can
become aware of how you perceive stress and learn to control
how you react to it.

Let’s look at some ways you can calm yourself down when you’re
feeling frazzled.

1. Slow down. Taking a few deep breaths and counting to 10 can
help relieve the symptoms of stress on the spot. Deep breaths and
pausing before acting can slow your rapid breathing. It can give
you valuable seconds to think about how you’re going to respond
to a stressful situation.

2. Enjoy simple pleasures. Think about what really relaxes you.
Is it being alone with a good book? Driving in the country?
Sharing lunch with a friend? Walking with your dog? Look for
opportunities to do things you enjoy, even if it’s just for 15
minutes every day.

3. Practice positive self-talk. You may sometimes say to yourself,
“Oh great, here I go again.” Or, “I’ll never get this done.” Try
flipping your thinking around to, “I’m not going to do that again,”
or “I’ll just tackle one thing at a time.” Frame your thinking around
success, rather than failure.

4. Seize the moment. Stressors can be unexpected, like being cut
off in traffic, or a dispute at work. It might help to put together an
emergency “tool kit” of healthy ways to respond to such things.
Then you can feel relaxed and prepared for almost anything.

5. Let things go. Some things aren’t worth sweating over.
Ask yourself, “Will this matter a month from now?” Try to
set priorities, separating the big stuff from the small stuff.
Let some of the small stuff go. Then reward yourself for a
meaningful accomplishment — instead of being hard on
yourself for not getting everything done.

6. Find reasons to laugh. A sense of humor can put problems in
a whole new light. Don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself. As the
saying goes, laughter just might be the best medicine.

7. Get enough rest and sleep. Getting enough rest and sleep will
also help you deal with everyday stressors.

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