Personal Stress Management

Managing Stress in 5 Steps

Creating a personal stress management program is of vital importance because stress is a part of every day life and is unlikely to disappear. In fact, a healthy amount of stress keeps us motivated. Quite literally, we cannot function effectively in life without a certain degree of stress. The way in which you deal with stressors and pressures is a good indication of how much stress your mind and body will feel. Effective problem solving skills helps to identify the problem and then having the knowledge and resources to deal with the situation and stressor to bring about a positive consequence.

Everyone deals with stress differently. What causes you to become stressed might be different for your friends and family. There are many things than can cause over stress: moving house, a death in the family, heavy work load, new responsibilities, a birth in the family, the loss of a job, a relationship break-up.

Everyone in the family feels the affects of these stressors so it's important also to consider your children's reactions and stress levels. Stress management for teens might be considerably different than what you might choose for yourself. For example, they might want to hang out with their friends rather than talk about it. Ask them what would work best for them, they know.

It's important in your personal stress management plan to also consider how your thoughts affect your behaviours and whether they are adding to your levels of stress. Sometimes we respond to stressful situations with strong emotions such as anger and frustration. We can choose to express anger with physical attacks, avoidance or communication. If you anger easily you might like to consider anger management to help you deal with things productively rather than with anger. Know your own mind and choose to think differently. Make positive choices in your life and look on the brighter side of things.

You can also take control of your life with time management by managing your activities so they are more balanced and you experience less stress.

Effective personal stress management comes from within, with determination to overcome your stresses. A person who feels de-stressed and in control of their life is more productive and healthier.