Managing and Preventing Stress
There are several ways to effectively manage stress. The following are 10 common tips for managing stress.
1.
Avoid Controllable Stressors
Many stressful situations can be under your control. You can avoid them completely. For example, if playing
intramural sports stresses you out, agree not to play. Read a book or try something new instead.
2.
Plan Major Lifestyle Changes
Change can be positive, but major lifestyle changes can bring upon unwanted stress. If you plan on graduating,
starting a new job or moving to a new house, plan ahead to make transitions easier.
3.
Realize Your Limitation
Learn how to say NO to new responsibilities and commitments that you may not be able to fulfill. When you say
no to a new commitment, you're honoring your existing obligations and ensuring that you'll be able to devote
quality time to them.
4.
Prioritize/Set Goals
When faced with more than one task, prioritize. What comes first (family, friends, homework, studying, work)?
Once you decide which part of your life is most important, plan other events around it. If you have priorities,
everything should fall in place around it. Setting goals can help you realize your priorities and help you to achieve
your specific objectives.

Set small, achievable goals along the way
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Keep track of your progress

Celebrate when you complete an objective that can help you achieve your goals
5. Communication/Relationships
You could significantly reduce relationship stress by expressing your feelings and thoughts assertively. Sharing
your thoughts may help others see a way out of a stressful situation that you might not have thought of.

Express your feelings rather than bottling them up

Keep a journal as a means of self-expression
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
Talk with friends and family
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Participate in counseling sessions if needed
6. Get Enough Rest
Getting enough sleep can help you develop a healthier lifestyle that is conducive to less stress. A good night's
sleep allows you to manage the day's stress easier. When you are tired, you are less patient and easily agitated,
which can increase stress. Most adults need 7-8 hours of sleep per night. Practicing good sleep hygiene along with
stress-lowering tactics can help improve your quality of sleep.

Get plenty of sleep

Periodically take breaks to rest the mind

Avoid taking sleeping pills
7.
Practice Positive Self-Talk
Many people carry conversations with themselves during much of the day. This internal dialogue can actually
affect thoughts and behaviors. You can contribute to stress and anxiety through negative self-talk. When self-talk
is positive, you ultimately feel positive and have higher self-esteem. The more you practice self-talk, the better you
can manage the demands of everyday life.

“I am in control of my life”

“I know I can do the job”

“Everything will work out”
8. Relaxation Techniques
Deep Breathing: Check out the deep breathing link within the stress webpage
Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR): Check out the PMR link within the stress webpage
9. Exercise and Eat Healthy
Exercise
Exercise helps improve mood and relieves stress because it helps bump up the production of the brain's feel-good
neurotransmitters, called endorphins. Exercise can also create meditation in motion. After a fast-paced game of
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racquetball or several laps in the pool, you'll often find that you've forgotten the day's irritations and concentrated
only on the body's movements. As you begin to regularly shed your daily tensions through movement and
physical activity, you may find that this focus on a single task, and the resulting energy and optimism, can help you
remain calm and clear in everything that you do (Mayo, 2012).
Exercise can also improve mood. Regular exercise (20-30 minutes a day) can increase self-confidence and lower
the symptoms associated with mild depression and anxiety. Exercise can also improve the quality of sleep, which
is often disrupted by stress, depression and anxiety. All of this can ease stress levels and give you a sense of
command over your body and your life.

Stretching

Running

Swimming

Yoga

Walking

Kick Boxing
Eat Healthy
Healthy eating plays a crucial role in your ability to deal with times of extra stress. Carbohydrates, protein, fat,
vitamins and minerals are all important for energy, mental concentration, and emotional stability.
Stress can weaken the immune system and increase the body's need for certain nutrients. A balanced diet will
help you stay focused, alert, energetic, and healthy during times of stress. However, if you live off of fast food or
frequently skip meals, you are more likely to perform poorly or get sick during stressful times
Any discussion about eating and stress must include caffeine and sugar. Many people use high sugar foods to
keep their energy up and caffeine to keep going when they need rest. Too much caffeine will contribute to poor
quality sleep and add to the negative effects of stress on the body. Sugar will satisfy you in the short term, but
leave you with less energy and more hungry after an hour. Whole foods will provide you with energy that will last
for several hours (UGA, 2013).
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Eat a well-balanced diet

Drink plenty of water

Reduce caffeine intake

Get daily recommendations of Vitamin B

Avoid processed foods
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10. Learn to Laugh
A good laugh has great short-term effects. When you start to laugh, it doesn't just lighten your load mentally, it
actually induces physical changes in your body.
Laughter can:

Stimulate many organs. Laughter enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart, lungs and
muscles, and increases the endorphins that are released by your brain.

Activate and relieve your stress response. A rollicking laugh fires up and then cools down your stress
response and increases your heart rate and blood pressure. The result? A good, relaxed feeling.

Soothe tension. Laughter can also stimulate circulation and aid muscle relaxation, both of which help
reduce some of the physical symptoms of stress (Mayo, 2013).
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