There are many healthy coping skills that can help us
both prevent and deal with stress. As mentioned above, good diet, good
sleep, exercise, social support and effective communication all work
well. Here are some more skills that can help reduce stress:
• Breathing Exercises, take 10-minutes 3x day to do diaphragmic breathing exercises to relax, reduce anxiety, anger and stress. Shallow breathing exacerbates stress and anxiety!
• Exercise of any form is the best! Anything from simple 10-minute walks to fun sports or activities that require you to move. Exercise not only it helps reduce stress, but it helps us feel good, and have a healthier stronger body image. Start slow and increase as your strength and stamina grows.
• Visualization Exercises help us cope with the issues we are facing, put our mind into a peaceful state and enable us to access healthy effective thoughts and feelings that help us deal with daily stressors.
• Meditation is one of the best ways to relax the mind and body. Taking some time off for yourself and focusing only on your breathing or a happy thought can totally relax you and remove stress.
• Muscle Tension and Relaxation; this exercise is very effective in reducing physical tension. All you need to do is tense your muscles for 7 seconds and then let go and relax. Keep doing that for a few minutes and your body will experience a very relaxed and peaceful state.
• Music not only entertains us, but also helps our mind to relax and puts us in certain moods connected to the music we listen to.
• Hot baths are excellent for relaxing the muscle tension and therefore the body's stress. If you add the ambiance it will add to the mental relaxation too. Pamper and treat yourself well, you deserve it.
• Hobbies are great preventative coping skills. If you have an interest in any particular area whether you like sewing or building models, these are extremely helpful for mental well-being.
• Things you like to do such as walks at the beach, a hike in the mountains, shopping, or any outdoor activity that help you relax (mentally) and enjoy yourself.
• Massages are also very helpful for both physical and mental relaxation. They may not always be affordable, but you can always check with massage schools, they are often looking for participants to practice on.
• A hug a day can keep the doctor away! Being appropriately physical with another human being (or animal) is very comforting and rewarding as long as it's done properly. (Be considerate with whomever you engage in this with.)
• Whatever you can think to do for yourself that helps you relax and feel good, such as going out with friends for dinner, to the movies or helping others can be healthy and joyful. We are social beings, we need each other, take ad vantage of that and pass it on!
• Breathing Exercises, take 10-minutes 3x day to do diaphragmic breathing exercises to relax, reduce anxiety, anger and stress. Shallow breathing exacerbates stress and anxiety!
• Exercise of any form is the best! Anything from simple 10-minute walks to fun sports or activities that require you to move. Exercise not only it helps reduce stress, but it helps us feel good, and have a healthier stronger body image. Start slow and increase as your strength and stamina grows.
• Visualization Exercises help us cope with the issues we are facing, put our mind into a peaceful state and enable us to access healthy effective thoughts and feelings that help us deal with daily stressors.
• Meditation is one of the best ways to relax the mind and body. Taking some time off for yourself and focusing only on your breathing or a happy thought can totally relax you and remove stress.
• Muscle Tension and Relaxation; this exercise is very effective in reducing physical tension. All you need to do is tense your muscles for 7 seconds and then let go and relax. Keep doing that for a few minutes and your body will experience a very relaxed and peaceful state.
• Music not only entertains us, but also helps our mind to relax and puts us in certain moods connected to the music we listen to.
• Hot baths are excellent for relaxing the muscle tension and therefore the body's stress. If you add the ambiance it will add to the mental relaxation too. Pamper and treat yourself well, you deserve it.
• Hobbies are great preventative coping skills. If you have an interest in any particular area whether you like sewing or building models, these are extremely helpful for mental well-being.
• Things you like to do such as walks at the beach, a hike in the mountains, shopping, or any outdoor activity that help you relax (mentally) and enjoy yourself.
• Massages are also very helpful for both physical and mental relaxation. They may not always be affordable, but you can always check with massage schools, they are often looking for participants to practice on.
• A hug a day can keep the doctor away! Being appropriately physical with another human being (or animal) is very comforting and rewarding as long as it's done properly. (Be considerate with whomever you engage in this with.)
• Whatever you can think to do for yourself that helps you relax and feel good, such as going out with friends for dinner, to the movies or helping others can be healthy and joyful. We are social beings, we need each other, take ad vantage of that and pass it on!
SAD
CliniC
Stress, Anxiety, & Depression CliniC
Mind Over Matter: If you DO Mind, it Will Matter
Healthy Coping Skills.
West Los Angeles
Stress