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Easy Ways to Take the Pressure Off Yourself
In this chapter,
you will find anti-stress strategies. Some will give you temporary
relief from symptoms of stress while others will help you get at
its cause. Living to avoid excessive stress is the ideal but sometimes
we all need a little emotional first aid. Before you decide which
coping skill to use in a situation, ask yourself the following three
questions:
1) Is this an
appropriate thing to do in this situation? Meditating by chanting
mantras may help you calm down, but may not be the best choice if
you're in an interview.
2) Is this a
positive way of coping? Not everything that we do to take the stress
away is good for us. Drugs and alcohol are obviously coping strategies
that will cause problems. Also, if you use anything to excess, even
if it appears positive, then it can have negative effects (e.g.
excessive exercising or dieting).
3) Is this going
to help in the long run? We don't always need a long term solution.
However, if you choose a short term solution, then it is important
to decide whether that will be enough.
There are
five types of coping skills: physical, mental, social, diversions
and spiritual. You will notice as you go through the list that some
skills overlap; for example, meditation falls into more than one
category. The following skills can be used to help you deal with
the stressors you have identified.
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