stress
Checking Your Stress
- Do minor problems and disappointments upset you excessively?
- Do the small pleasures of life fail to satisfy you?
- Are you unable to stop thinking of your worries?
- Do you feel inadequate or suffer from self-doubt?
- Are you constantly tired?
- Do you experience flashes of anger over a minor problem?
- Have you noticed a change in sleeping or eating patterns?
- Do you suffer from chronic pain, headaches, or backaches?
Suggestions from the National Mental Health Association
- Be realistic. If you feel overwhelmed by some activities, learn to say NO!
- Shed the "superman/woman" urge. No one is perfect; don't expect perfection from yourself or others.
- Meditate for ten to twenty minutes.
- Visualize how you can manage a stressful situation more successfully.
- Take one thing at a time. Prioritize your tasks.
- Exercise regularly.
- Take on a hobby that will give you a break from your worries.
- Live a healthy lifestyle with good nutrition, adequate rest, regular exercise, limited caffeine and alcohol, and balanced work and play.
- Share your feelings with family and friends. Don't try to cope alone.
- Give in occasionally. Be flexible.
- Go easy with criticism. You may expect too much of yourself and others.