It’s International Stress Awareness Day: Here are 4 Steps for Coping with Your Stress

Stress, we’ve all experienced it. In 2016, 77% of people in the U.S. said they regularly experience physical symptoms caused by stress, with 73% suffering from psychological symptoms due to the illness. But what is stress and how do we cope with it?

Experts describe stress as a “physical, mental or emotional strain or tension”. Experiences vary from person to person due to different factors, circumstances and situations. Truthfully, there is no one definition of what stress is.

Whatever your specific stress looks like, the overwhelming and uncomfortable feelings that come with it is something we would all gladly give the middle finger to. We’ve put together the Four A’s of stress management to help make your everyday life easier.

While it’s not healthy to turn a blind eye to stressful situations that need to be addressed, you’d be surprised at how many causes of stress in your life could be easily eliminated. From limiting the time spent with those friends who constantly cause drama, to learning how to say “no” and not taking on too much; if you choose to take control of your environment, avoiding situations doesn’t always have to be a bad thing.

If avoiding the situation isn’t an option, then try to alter it. Start by expressing your emotions instead of bottling them up as it’s best to share how you feel instead of letting feelings of resentment build up. It’s also important to be willing to compromise with others in order to find a happy medium when altering a bad situation and effectively minimizing the stress levels for everyone involved.

We can’t change others, but we can change ourselves. Adapt to stressful situations by reframing your perspective and try to view the problems in a more positive, proactive light. For example, if you miss a job interview, ask yourself will this missed interview matter in a month? A year? Is it worth getting upset over or aren’t there perhaps more positive things to focus on? Yes, there are (always).

Some sources of stress are unavoidable. They can’t be prevented, altered or changed. In these situations, the best way to cope is to try accept things as they are and not to attempt to control the uncontrollable. Instead of dwelling on the past, concentrate on the positives and the things you can effect.

And remember today and every day, to speak up and speak out about stress!  

For more information on #NationalStressAwarenessDay visit http://isma.org.uk/national-stress-awareness-day.