you a various types Completely banishing stress from your life may never be an attainable goal. Nor, some would argue, should it be. If you consistently try your hardest and seek new endeavors, you will naturally feel challenged and sometimes even stressed. This is all part of personal growth. But sometimes stress threatens to overwhelm you. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to minimize its negative toll, and to prevent it from getting a grip on you in the first place. These strategies provide you with a sense of control over your life and/or the situation. They also boost your mood and your confidence in handling a stressful situation. Usually there is no one right or wrong way to cope with a stressful situation. The idea is to have as much information as many tools in your toolbox as possible. For stressors that are uncontrollable, the key is to adapt your response to the needs of the situation and/or manage your cognitive or emotional responses in order to minimize stress. For example: Remind yourself that you successfully have handled similar situations in the past. Reassure yourself that you will be fine regardless of what happens. Find some humor in the situation. Reward yourself afterward with something enjoyable. Find a trusted friend to talk with about the experience. Use relaxation exercises to control your physical response to the situation. Make a list of similar situations and how you successfully managed them in the past. Ask others what they have done in similar situations to prepare yourself. Expect surprises in your life and in these situations, and don t let being stressed add to your stress. For stressors you have some control over, you can do things to actively respond to the situation. For example: Make a list of stressors, so that you can prioritize them and tackle them one at a time, in order to minimize feelings of being overwhelmed. Change aspects of a stressful situation that give you problems. Rearrange your schedule, have a problem-solving discussion with the bothersome person, organize your workspace, schedule some time for a break, take a brief walk or ask someone for help. Expect surprises in your life and in these situations, and don t let being stressed add to your stress. Develop systematic problem-solving skills: Identify the stressful situation. Define it as an objective, solvable problem. Brainstorm solutions don t evaluate them yet! Anticipate the possible outcomes of each solution. Choose a solution and act on it. Evaluate the results, and start over if necessary. Don t expect to be perfect. Give it your best shot and learn from the experiences. Improve your coping skills. Practice assertive communication and problem-solving. Find someone who successfully handles stress and imitate him. Surround yourself with confident and competent people. Take care of yourself physically; learn yoga, relaxation exercises and deep muscle relaxation skills. Plan and prepare in advance for problematic situations. For example, anticipate problems and develop a game plan for how to respond, including reminding yourself that the situation has occurred before and that you have survived it before. Make lifestyle changes that are conducive to healthy and less stressful living. Exercise regularly, drink plenty of water, maintain a well-balanced diet and eat regular meals, try to balance work and personal life, schedule time for personal recreation, stay involved with family and friends, and limit social contact with people who are chronically negative. There also are some medications that can calm the physiological response to stressful events. They do not teach you new coping skills to help you get through them. In the long term, learning relaxation skills, coping strategies and how to think through problems, are what will help you with the next unexpected situation. If you find yourself unable to function at the level you used to or at the level you wish to, stress may be interfering with your life. If you find yourself worrying, feeling physical (muscle) tension, have rapid heart rate or do a lot of what-if-ing or postponing work because you feel overwhelmed, talk to your family doctor or see a psychologist or psychiatrist to discuss your stress level and coping skills. Related Articles Related Content from Our Sponsors Read more articles by this author Hot Topics Today 1 PTSD Patients Show Heightened Sensitivity to Deviant Sounds 2 Developing the Evidence Base for Mindfulness Therapies 3 Dominant Hand May Begin in Womb 4 5 Types of People Who Are Naturally Attracted to Each Other 5 What's a Narcissist's Punishment? Most Popular News PTSD Patients Show Heightened Sensitivity to Deviant Sounds Dominant Hand May Begin in Womb Developing the Evidence Base for Mindfulness Therapies Bipolar or Depression? 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