STRESS
Relax and Cope
H
ow do you deal with stress? Are your coping
strategies healthy and helpful? Unfortunately,
many people deal with stress in ways that
worsen the problem. Unhealthy strategies may seem
to relieve stress at first, but eventually they cause more
damage. Some unhealthy ways of coping with stress
are: eating too much or too little, smoking, drinking
excessive amounts of alcohol, procrastinating, sleeping
too much, or lashing out at others because you feel
stressed.
The best way to manage your stress is to learn healthy
coping strategies. Try different strategies until you find
one that works for you. Whenever you feel stressed,
practice one of these strategies until it becomes a habit
for you. Stress-relief strategies focus on relaxing the
mind and body.
Live a Healthy Lifestyle
Exercise – Regular exercise is one of the best ways to
help manage stress and improve your fitness. Exercise
increases endorphins, which are natural chemicals in
the body that cause you to feel upbeat and vibrant.
Whether you like competitive sports such as football,
tennis, or softball, or you prefer walks around the
neighborhood with family and friends, it’s important to
get moving. Try to get at least 30 minutes of physical
activity a day, at least 5 or 6 days a week. If this is a
new exercise routine for you, start slowly and build
up to a workout that fits your needs and schedule.
Research has shown that regular exercise relieves
stress as well as or better than depression medication.
Eat healthy meals – When you are stressed, it is
important to keep your body and its immune system
strong. Eating regular healthy meals and taking time to
enjoy them will make you feel better, too. You may want
to check out www.mypyramid.gov for ideas on building
healthy meals.
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“Regular exercise is one
of the best ways to help
manage stress and improve
your fitness.”
STRESS
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Eat whole grains, not refined grains, whenever possible.
Avoid pop and sugary snacks.
Limit caffeine.
Eat calcium-rich foods such as fat-free or low-fat milk and yogurt.
Include lean sources of protein such as fish, extra lean ground beef, boneless/skinless chicken, dry beans, peas, and nuts.
Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Spend time with others – Spending time with
friends and family is a healthy way to reduce stress.
Build a network of support. It is important to develop
relationships before a negative event or situation
occurs. Talk, laugh, cry, and express feelings of anger
to someone you trust. It could be a friend, spouse,
family member, co-worker, counselor, or someone else
with whom you feel comfortable. Talking out stressful
situations may help you discover ways to deal with
them.
Do something you enjoy
If you regularly make time for fun and relaxation, you
will be more capable of handling life’s stressors. You
may feel you are too busy to do these things, but doing
something for yourself, even just for a few minutes, will
help to reduce stress.
“Writing about your feelings
may help you identify stress
factors and ways to resolve
them.”
Here are a few ideas:
• Listen to music.
• Read a good book.
• Watch a comedy.
• Get a massage.
• Call a friend.
• Play with your pets.
• Spend time in nature.
• Do a creative activity such as writing, crafts, or art.
• Develop or continue a hobby such as gardening, scrapbooking, or photography.
• Do volunteer work.
Write
Keep a stress journal. Writing about your feelings may
help you identify stress factors and ways to resolve
them. You may also find that after you write about your
feelings, your problems won’t seem so overwhelming.
Write for 10 to 15 minutes a day, noting stressful events
and how they made you feel. After one week, review
your journal and identify the events that were the most
stressful. Select one of them to work on by using a
healthy coping strategy.
Relax and Cope
Practice Relaxation Techniques
Relaxation techniques help control stress by refocusing
your attention and increasing awareness of your body.
Practicing one or more of these techniques regularly will
build your resilience.
Visualization – Take a visual journey to a calm,
peaceful place. You may want to close your eyes and
imagine a setting in which you feel calm and relaxed.
Use as many senses as you can, including smell, sight,
sound, and touch. For example, if you imagine you are
at the ocean, think about the smell of salt water, the
sound of crashing waves, and the warmth of the sun
on your body. You may practice this technique on your
own, or use audiotapes, books, or a teacher to guide
you.
Breathing exercises – Learn to breathe from your
belly. Follow this approach:
• Sit comfortably with your back straight and your legs uncrossed.
• Place one hand on your chest and one hand on your belly.
• Inhale through your nose and imagine that your belly is a big balloon that you are slowly filling with air.
• The hand on your belly should rise; the hand on your chest should move very little.
• As you exhale through your mouth, push out as much air as you can by using your abdominal muscles.
• Count slowly as you exhale.
• Do this at least two or three more times, being sure to focus your attention on the rise and fall of your belly.
Muscle relaxation – A technique called “progressive
muscle relaxation” helps to reduce muscle tension.
During this technique, focus on tensing and relaxing
each muscle group. Tensing and relaxing helps you
to notice the difference between muscle tension and
relaxation. You may learn this technique on your own
or use an audiotape to help guide you. Here is one
approach:
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Start by tensing and relaxing the muscles in your toes.
Gradually work your way up to your shoulders, neck, and head.
Hold for a count of at least 10 seconds and then relax for 30 seconds while breathing slowly and deeply.
(Continued on next page)
“Relaxation techniques
help control stress by
refocusing your attention
and increasing awareness
of your body.”
STRESS
Other common relaxation techniques include:
• Yoga
• Tai Chi
• Meditation/prayer
• Massage therapy
• Hypnosis
Shift your emotional gears
Practice positive thinking for stress management.
Positive thinking is a great way to reduce stress and
improve your overall health. When your state of mind
is generally optimistic, you will be able to handle
stress in a more constructive way. Positive thinking
includes recognizing negative “self-talk” and learning
ways to replace it with more optimistic thoughts.
Self-talk is the endless stream of thoughts that fill
your mind every day. These thoughts may be positive
or negative and they are often a reflection of what you
believe about yourself and your experiences. Negative
self-talk can be irrational or become automatic
thoughts.
It may take some time to change the way you think.
It is important to practice positive self-talk every day
in order for it to come naturally. Start by following
a simple rule: Do not say anything to yourself that
you would not say to others. Evaluate your negative
thoughts and try to put a positive spin on them.
Here are some examples:
Positive Self-Talk
I will try my best.
I can learn from my mistake.
I need to re-evaluate my priorities.
I’ll see if I can improve communication.
I have an interesting challenge.
Negative Self-Talk
I can’t do this.
I messed up again.
There is never enough time.
I am always the last to know.
I have a problem.
This information is intended to help you understand more
about stress. It is not medical advice and should not replace
the advice of your physician. You should consult with your
physician before beginning any health-related program.
Copyright 2009 UPMC Health Plan, Inc. All rights reserved.
LOW STR LFS C20090529-09 (BAM)P 7/14/09 100 SS
“Positive thinking is a
great way to reduce stress
and improve your overall
health.”