Posted: 10/01/04
Christian therapist Mark Gomez
offers 10 tools for beating stress
Get a grip on yourself.
You are in contol of your emotions. You may not be able to change the outside world, but you can learn to deal with it.
Recognize you are in charge of your stress.
You have control over most of your activities. Prioritize your time to reduce stress.
Determine the importance of a situation.
Not getting invited to a party is not the end of the world. It may seem that way, but there will be other parties.
Go easy on yourself.
No one is perfect. Try hard and do your best. That's all anyone can ask of you.
Take one thing at a time and prepare for it.
Prioritize your time. Don't wait until the night before to study for two tests. Keep a calendar of activities.
Take care of yourself.
Eat healthy food, exercise and get enough rest. Drugs and alcohol only lead to bigger problems.
Laugh or cry to relieve your tensions.
Laugh at yourself. It's hard to do, but it helps reduce stress.
Get involved.
You will have less time to be sad, bored and lonely if you stay busy.
Visualize.
Use your mind to “see” how you can manage a potentially stressful situation.
Don't suffer in silence.
An honest talk with someone you trust helps you get rid of bottled-up feelings and see things in a different light.
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