Stress management begins with recognizing that you are stressed out. You need to know what stresses you out so that you can deal with them in healthy ways. Once you identify your stressors, you can learn how to cope with the stress in your life.
Many people accept stress as a standard way of living and do not try to manage it in a healthy manner. This keeps their bodies in stress mode and can cause them stress-related disorders.
While some stress is normal and required to keep us motivated and sometimes safe, chronic stress is negative and can take a toll on one’s life.
Studies reveal that people who are under prolonged periods of stress have increased rates of:
- cardiovascular disease
- gastrointestinal problems
- depression
- ruined relationships with their peers and family members
- inability to fight infections
It is impossible to get rid of all the stress in your life.
Unfortunately, you cannot control things like your car breaking down and resulting in an extra bill, or your aging parents needing you to care for them. I find that the serenity prayer helps me: “God grants me the serenity to accept what I can not change (the past and other people), the courage to change the things I can (myself and my reaction), and the wisdom to know the differences.” This is what stress management is all about. It involves learning how to control your life, rather than letting your life control you!
Begin by identifying the sources of stress in your life
We are all different. What stresses others might be something that you thrive on or look forward to taking on. For example, some people find public speaking very stressful, while others love it and thrive on it. If you cannot eliminate the stress, you need to learn how to cope.
Find a balance in your life
This is another important method of stress management. It means learning to balance work and life. The first step is to ask what makes you come alive. What jazzes you up and makes it hard for you to sleep, and you can’t wait to get up in the morning? Start by asking yourself what you enjoyed doing as a child.
Finding hobbies and activities that you enjoy can help you relax and forget about the stresses in your life.
Exercise is a very beneficial stress reliever. It allows an outlet for the release of anger and frustration that can build up when you are stressed. Exercise promotes the release of endorphins in your body, which are known to lessen pain, increase your sense of well-being, and increase your overall energy levels.
Other methods of relieving stress include:
Not taking on everything that comes your way
Breaking larger tasks into smaller steps in order not to get overwhelmed.
Getting enough sleep is another critical factor that is often overlooked when dealing with stress. The better rested you are, the easier it is to deal with life’s challenges.
Delegating tasks to others who can help you out.
In summary, stress management involves recognizing that you are experiencing stress and then taking steps to decrease or eliminate it. Once you begin to do that, you can begin living a healthier life.
Looking at my past, I have a lot of regrets. 1-10
1 low regret, 10 high regret.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Write about the regret. Remember, you do not have to pick an experience that is too negative or painful.
Did you learn anything from the past event or experience? If yes, what did you learn?
Now, let it go. Don’t hold tight to it. Take three deep breaths. Imagine putting it in a box. Close the box and put it on the shelf. Take three more deep breaths and let it go.
Write about this exercise. What happened? How did you feel?
Action Steps
1. List the five things that stress you out the most
2. List below one healthy way of coping with stress that you can do this week
Coping With Stress by Creating S.M.A.R.T. Goals
To cope with stress, setting goals can be helpful. However, it’s not good enough to say that your goal is to learn how to cope with stress. This is just too vague. Instead, you want to learn to set S.M.A.R.T. Goals, so you can have a better chance of attaining them.
S.M.A.R.T. Goals
Here are examples of how you can put this into use.
S – Specific
M – Meaningful
A – Accountable
R – Realistic
T – Time-Limited
Finding Your Passion and Purpose
The first step is to ask what makes you come alive. What jazzes you up and makes it hard for you to sleep, and you can’t wait to get up in the morning? Start by asking yourself what you enjoyed doing as a child. What did you want to be when you grew up? Have you ever felt like you had a calling or purpose? If yes, what was it?
I found a life purpose exercise online: write nonstop about your purpose until you cry. When you do, then that is your purpose. This might work for some people, but it did not work well for me.
I refer to life’s purpose, though each person has more than one purpose. Life’s purpose is harder to find than life’s passions. You can decide if your purpose is a life of love or to follow Jesus.
9 Questions to Answer
Find a notebook or open a document on your computer and just write nonstop for 5 minutes about your passions. Set a timer.
1. What would you do if you could do anything?
2. What do you do that makes time pass so quickly?
3. What did you love doing as a child?
4. What can you do for hours on end?
5. What are your strengths and talents?
6. What is your brilliant zone?
7. What career or business would you have if you could do anything at
all?
8. What do you dream about doing?
9. What would make you jump out of bed in the morning?
Action Steps
1. Decide what your calling is for this season in your life
2. Now list 5 to 10 things or activities that you are passionate about
3. Add these to your daily or weekly to-do list
Living with purpose and meaning
A key to my life is to find and live my purpose. I believe everyone has one.
You don’t find it is part of you.
It has 2 parts
1. To grow
2. Help others
My purpose is to work on my mental health recovery and to grow on my journey, so I may help others to do the same.
Look at your passions, talents, skills, and values. What are they?
Journaling My Life 
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