Hormones 2016

Stress management
Keep a diary
Although keeping a diary, also known as a ’journal’, may seem strange or
tedious, writing down your thoughts on a regular basis can help keep you
stress-free. When you feel bogged down with some emotional or mental
stressor, write about it in your journal. Getting it out on paper will give you
a sense of relief you might not otherwise find (psychologytoday, 2013).
• Write honestly and without fear. Your journal is only for you: no
one else needs to read it or see what is stressing you out. It is a safe,
judgement-free place to get out all your worries, emotions, thoughts,
and feelings (psychologytoday, 2013). Once your thoughts are down
on paper, they will no longer be taking up space in your brain.
• Journaling can help you experience clarity and see the source of your
stress.
• Write out your problems to organize your thoughts. When your
thoughts are not organized, you can’t think clearly, which leads to
confusion and stress. If you have a problem and can’t decide between
two solutions, make a two column pros and cons list (for and against),
such as dividing a sheet of paper down the center to compare two
ways to handle that situation.
Avoiding Unnecessary Stress
Accept that stress is unavoidable
You can take steps to reduce your stress and learn how to cope with
stress, but you will never be completely rid of stress (mayoclinic, 2014a).
Stress serves a purpose as a healthy response to overwhelming stimuli or
perceived threats, and it can be dealt with in an equally healthy fashion
(mayoclinic, 2014a).
• Stressors that may be unavoidable include school work and exams,
busy days at work, new babies, getting married, or moving. Some of
these are actually good things, but can still be a source of stress in your
life.
• Learning healthy stress management techniques can help you "turn
off" your stress alarm system so that you are not in a constant state of
stress as you move through life (mayoclinic, 2014a).
Avoid stress when you can
Seems obvious, right? Sometimes staying away from what is stressing you
out is harder than it sounds. If you know particular person or activity is the
origin of your stress, cut them or it out of your life, or limit your exposure
as much as possible. There are at least seven culprits of unnecessary stress;
beware of falling prey to these issues (healthline, 2014).
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