Stress is a natural part of life. Some stress in life can be a motivation to meet life's challenges, but many times too much stress can harm your physical, emotional and mental well being. Learning to manage stress is essential to healthy living.

There are two main approaches for coping with excessive stress:

1. Self-management : requires taking responsibility for YOUR reactions to a situation. This method involves examining what you think or how you interpret situations. It is possible to misinterpret situations and therefore make them MORE stressful than is warranted. Don't worsen a situation by thinking "Oh my God, this is terrible; I can't handle it." versus saying to yourself, "This is stressful, but I can handle it. I'll think through how I want to choose to respond, and take one thing at a time," is a much more helpful, healthy response.

2. Situational management : includes problem solving, assertiveness, conflict resolution, time management, along with healthy self-care.

•  Critical Problem Solving:
1. Acknowledge and clarify the problem or issue.
2. Analyze the problem, and identify the needs of those who are affected.
3. Brainstorm to generate many possible solutions.
4. Evaluate each solution, considering the needs of those affected.
5. Select the best option and implement the solution.
6. Evaluate the outcome, and use another solution if the first is ineffective.

•  Assertiveness includes:
1. Act in your own best interest.
2. Stand up for yourself, expressing yourself honestly and appropriately while listening to others as well.
3. Exercise your own rights while respecting the rights of others to have different wants, needs or values.

•  Conflict Resolution:
1. Have the goal of "solving the problem" rather than "winning the fight."
2. Be willing to listen.
3. Use "I" messages rather than "you" statements. Take responsibility for "your truth," and remember that the other person's "truth" may be different than yours.
4. Be as specific as possible. Talk about behavior rather than motives. Don't mind-read or assume the other person's experience of the problem.
5. Be willing to compromise.

•  Time Management:
1. Clarify a plan(s) of action or tasks to be completed.
2. Prioritize the more important tasks first.
3. Divide the plan of action into manageable goals and tasks.
4. Give yourself a reasonable amount of time to complete the tasks.

•  Self-Care:
1. Adequate sleep and good nutrition.
2. Regular exercise.
3. Relaxation skills or other healthy strategies for decreasing tension.
4. Avoid excessive junk food, caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine.
5. Develop and use a healthy support system. Friends are good stress relief.
6. Factor in time for personal and spiritual growth. Take time to "play" and use meditation or prayer to comfort you.
7. Take responsibility for your own life. Life is about choices. Understand yourself, your behaviors, your thoughts/beliefs, and your motivations.

If you feel stuck and overly stressed, call the center at 865-5113 to see a counselor. Asking for assistance is courageous and a healthy way to care for yourself.