Managing Stress

Unfortunately stress is a part of life. Whether it’s stress from work or school, stress from finances, or stress from fitting in with your peers, we all experience stress in our daily lives. We all manage stress in different ways, and some of us are better at managing it than others. When we don’t manage stress well, and things begin to build up and become overwhelming, this is when stress becomes a bigger problem and can even lead to anxiety in some cases.

So how do you know when stress is a bigger problem in your life? Good question. When we find ourselves avoiding something because of the amount of stress and anxiety it causes, or when we start to experience health problems because of stress, then it’s a bigger problem in your life. For example, if you avoid going to school because your worried about that math test and you skip school as a result, this can lead to bigger problems like truancy issues, problems at home with your parents and an even bigger work load at school. Some people might even get sick from unmanaged stress, they might experience frequent headaches, stomachs aches, or have low energy just to name a few.

Managing stress before it becomes a bigger issue is very important. When we start to do things that help us calm down and feel a little bit better so that we can manage our stress and even face some of the things that we have to do in our daily lives, this is called using a coping skill. Here is a list of things that people do to find relief from stress and calm down:

• Going for walks
• Exercising
• Talking to friends
• Listening to music
• Drawing or painting

This list can go on and on. Can you think of things that you do that help you calm down when you’re stressed out or overwhelmed about something?

Sometimes it’s really helpful to reach out for more support when unmanaged stress becomes a bigger issue in your life and your coping skills aren’t helping to reduce your anxiety around your stress. This might involve reaching out to supportive friends, a teacher, a parent, or even seeing a therapist, which can also be really helpful.

Remember that stress is a normal part of life and it’s really important to manage it using our coping skills before it becomes unhealthy and leads to more issues in our lives. If you would like to talk with someone about the stress in your life that’s become an issue, please feel free to contact us at 847-695-3680 and set up a time to speak with a therapist for more support.