Managing My Stress

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Can I Get Health Issues because of Stress?
Which of the following health issues do you think are linked to stress?
- Anxiety
- Pain
- Depressed Mood
- Fatigue
- Stomach Problems
- Sleep Problems
- Weight Problems
You are correct! The truth is...all these health issues are linked to stress! Yikes!

How do I stop it?

So glad you asked! This activity will help you manage your stress to live a happier and healthier life.

Disclaimer: We cannot be held responsible for your life long health and happiness, but all we can do is try. Right?! 😋
My Stress!
Do you experience any of the following?
Think about it... We all feel tired from time to time, or feel down because of unexpected problems life throws at us. Do you identify with any of the following?
- Anxiety
- Pain
- Depressed Mood
- Fatigue
- Stomach Problems
- Sleep Problems
- Weight Problems
In the following steps, you'll learn how to manage your stress.

Managing My Stress

Managing stress isn’t hard, but it takes practice. People who manage stress well have become “strong” at doing it.

Just as it takes work to become physically strong, it takes work to be strong mentally. Breaking down our thoughts and reactions is one important way to manage stress.
My Thoughts: Check and Change

How we think influences how we feel.That’s good! It’s often easier to control our thoughts than the stressors that trigger them.

The first step in learning to better manage stress is to check your thinking.

Then, you can learn to change your thoughts to reduce stress.

2 Types of Stress Causing Thoughts
Fortune Telling

Fortune telling is when you assume something bad or stressful will happen.

For example, before a job interview, you worry about how you will deal with rejection.

Fortune Telling thinking causes unneeded stress.

Magnifying

When you magnify the negative you jump to the conclusion that the worst will happen. When the car won’t start, you worry about paying for repairs before you know what the problem is. Magnifying can trigger other worries about money and create even more stress. Without more information, it’s not useful to think about the negative.

Things are looking up!

Stressful events can be unpleasant, and it is easy to react with negative thoughts. These thoughts, however, can leave you feeling hopeless about the future.

Your reactions don’t need to be negative. You can learn to react more optimistically. Positive thinking can help you become more hopeful about the future and better manage life stress.
Reframing

Reframing is a skill that reduces negative reactions. If you learn to reframe, you will feel more positive. Learning to reframe your immediate reactions takes practice.

The following steps will help you learn to reframe your reactions.
Step 1: Identify Thoughts In difficult situations, identify your thoughts and feelings. Ask:
- “What am I thinking?”
- “How am I feeling?”
Step 2: Find the Silver Lining
Once you can identify your thoughts, replace each negative thought with a positive one. Even terrible situations are opportunities for learning. Think about what is good in a situation.

Step 3: Be Thankful
Find something to be thankful for in every difficult and stressful situation. Even the worst situations can teach valuable lessons. Being thankful for the opportunity to learn something is a good start.

Step 4: Name the Positive Things in Your Life
Learn to make positive statements about yourself and the world around you. These positive thoughts help to prevent any recurring negative thoughts.
Try it out! Think of a stressful situation and identify your automatic negative thoughts. Then use the management techniques we've discussed to revise these thoughts into less stressful thoughts.
Putting it Into Practice

Changing your thoughts can lower your stress levels. Check out the situations below.
Situation 1: You are late for work!
For which thoughts, original or new, would you feel less stress in each situation?
- Original Thought: "I'll be fired!"
- New Thought: "My boss and I can figure out a solution to the bus schedule change"
This is an example of fortune telling. You're jumping to the worst possible outcome. Try selecting the other option to see how reframing this issue can lead to less stressful outcome.
This is a good way to approach this situation. Rather than dwelling on the problem, you're looking to the immediate future and seeing this as an opportunity to work with your boss and find a lasting solution.
Situation 2: Your car won't start!
For which thoughts, original or new, would you feel less stress in each situation?
- Original Thought: "I can't afford to fix it!"
- New Thought: "I probably left the lights on and killed the battery."
Response: It can be difficult, but try not to assume this is going to lead to a big repair job. This just creates more stress than the situation needs. Check out the other option to see this issue without magnifying the problem.
Yeah... or maybe it ran out of gas. Either way, it may be a small fix, and there is no need to magnify the problem.

Keep a Stress Journal

Keeping a stress journal can help you figure out what makes you stressed. Journals are most helpful when you write freely. Focus on getting your feelings out, rather than writing a perfect sentence. The health and wellness organization HelpGuide provides tips for starting a stress journal.
Additional Techniques to Manage Your Stress

Finding time to relax, spending time with friends, and participating in activities that you enjoy will help you decrease stress. Problem solving about your stressful situation is also helpful.
Stress Management
Which of the following ways to manage your stress would you like to try?
- Finding time to unwind
- Spending time with friends
- Participate in activities
- Joining Support Groups
- Writing in a Journal
- Sharing with someone you trust
- Meditation
At the end of this activity, we will send you an email on how to get started with the stress management techniques you want to try!

Exercising, Sleeping and Relaxation

Getting good sleep and exercising regularly helps with stress. Check out our activities on Physical Activity and Sleep for more tips on dealing with stress.
Set a Goal

Setting a goal can help you change your behavior and move you closer to healthier levels of stress. When setting goals to take on stress, it is important to be real. Small steps can add up to big changes.

Pay attention to your negative thoughts, and then think about how to reframe them into positive thoughts. Begin by making a few changes in your thought process,and work up to your goal from there.

Remember to keep track of your progress and reward yourself for efforts.
My Goal
Now that you more about how stress cause you to feel bad in lots of ways, what is one thing you would like to do to help you manage stress in youth life?
This concludes Your Stress Activity. We look forward to learning how will deal with stress now.

Remember, if stress becomes too hard to handle on your own. you can always share your problems with family, friends, teachers and counselors.
Once you click submit, don't forget to check your email for your plan to deal with stress!
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Step 1 of 5

How do I stop it?

My Stress!

My Thoughts: Check and Change

2 Types of Stress Causing Thoughts

Fortune Telling

Magnifying

Things are looking up!

Reframing

Putting it Into Practice

Keep a Stress Journal

Additional Techniques to Manage Your Stress

Exercising, Sleeping and Relaxation

Set a Goal