Stress happens. Sometimes there is no way to avoid it. Other times we create it ourselves with overloaded schedules, ridiculously high expectations, and the defeating self-talk we listen to.
This list is from a tattered piece of paper entitled 101 Strategies for Coping with Stress that I keep stuck in my Bible. I can’t give credit to anyone for these tips since I can’t remember who gave it to me, and there is no reference given on the sheet.
Please read these out loud, speaking to yourself alone (hopefully no one is around to see you talking to yourself again!) I hope these tips will lift you up and remind you that you have the power to choose…
- Remember you have the gift of memory for pleasant times.
- Enjoy nature… the wonders in your yard, the sky, the sea, the desert, the mountains, everything.
- Start sharing responsibilities.
- Listen to people…really listen.
- Compromise occasionally and you may really be the winner.
- Stop being always available for running errands.
- Sing.
- Dance.
- Take some time off.
- Be honest about how you feel.
- Begin living now.
- Stop living in the future/past.
- List your successes.
- Make friends with people who like themselves.
- Learn to accept what you cannot change.
- Let other people run their own lives.
- Develop your personal talents.
- Give yourself permission to be afraid of failure and success.
- Stop feeling sorry for yourself.
- Get enough rest.
- Stop looking for someone or something to blame.
- Analyze problems, figure out what can be done, then take action immediately.
- Talk about your strengths…to yourself.
- Control food input; eat nutritionally.
- Ask for help in a straightforward way.
I especially need these reminders around the holidays. One last exhortation from me: Be kind to yourself.
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