Handling stress

Taken from uOttawa Health Services

Four ways of handling stress:

• Be aware of your interpretation of stressful situations. since stress is directly related to your thoughts, try thinking in a more positive manner.
• Try relaxation methods such as meditation. This can be helpful in reducing anxiety and managing stress. By turning on the relaxed state, you are turning off the stressed state. This is because you can't be releaxed and stressed at the same time.
• Get physical! Techniquues such as breathing exercises, stretching, and walking all help in preventing stress and lower the physical signs of stress.
• have some fun! Go out and do something you trule enjoy. Whether it is a hobby or vacationing, you need to experience tings that give you genuine pleasure.

Having a creative mind is essential... when you can only think of one thing at a time, you lose the positive perspective at the time you are thinking about the negative.