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Stress Reduction
When confronted
with an obstacle make a choice
A Healthy Perspective
Reduce stress by avoiding illness
Get a good night's sleep
Exercise regularly
Refuse to Procrastinate
Don't overload your schedule
Don't forget to make time to relax
When confronted
with an obstacle make a choice
Life is not perfect. Every day we come across obstacles that have
the potential to upset us. For some, it may be a severe physical
handicap, the passing away of a loved one, a life-threatening disease
or an abusive parent. For others it may be a broken nail, a stubbed
toe or an insult. Bad things happen all the time. You can do your
best to avoid them, but eventually something unfortunate will touch
your life. When it does, you have a choice to either focus on the
negative, or to focus on the positive and move one. You can either
sulk and wallow in your misery focusing on how terrible this thing
is and why you don't deserve it. Or you can accept it as something
that just happens in life, and focus on what you are going to do
to improve your life under the current circumstances. Obviously
you're much better off making the second choice. However, in order
to do that you must stop focusing on the negative. For some, this
is very difficult. A healthy perspective can help.
A Healthy Perspective
Let's say you're walking along one day and you
discover a ball. When you compare it to a golf ball, it's pretty
large. However, when you compare it to the largest ball you know,
let's say the sun, that ball you found seems so much smaller and
insignificant. The same goes for obstacles in life. It's truly amazing
that some people can get just as upset over a stain on their clothes
as another person could get about a wrongful death sentence. When
something happens and it upsets you, before you get all furious,
think about someone else who has suffered tremendously. When you
do, your trouble will seem much less severe, allowing you to get
over it more easily. Human history is rich with examples of extreme
suffering. Out of all the billions and billions of humans that have
lived, there are many others who have suffered more than you are
suffering. We are in no way trying to trivialize your pain or circumstances.
You could be dealing with an unspeakable tragedy. What we are saying
is that you don't have to feel like you have been picked out of
the crowd to suffer the most. Others have felt pain equal to yours
and still others have suffered more. With this fact and some research
you have the power to make your pain seem less severe.
One source of stress is illness.
Reduce stress by avoiding illness.
- Exercise regularly.
(Especially aerobic exercise)
- Get a good night's sleep.
- Eat 3 well rounded nutritious
meals a day.
- Dress warm in cold
weather.
- Practice good hygiene.
- Drink 8 glasses of water per day.
Get a good night's sleep
We recommend at least 7.5 hours of deep sleep
per night. For ways to improve your quality of sleep please read
our Sleep section.
Exercise regularly
Exercise reduces stress considerably. It allows
us to vent our daily frustrations and pent up energy. It releases
endorphins into our blood which causes us to feel good and to relax.
It helps us achieve a deep restful sleep. Regular aerobic exercise
lowers our resting heart rate. It also boosts our immune system
and makes us less prone to all sorts of illness. This comforting
fact can reduce our stress as well.
Refuse to Procrastinate
Procrastination can be a huge source for stress.
The more things you put off, the more unfinished business you have
to stress about. By changing your habits from procrastination to
tackling duties right away, you can change your life and accomplish
a heck of a lot more. You have the power to delete a whole class
of stress by taking care of business as soon as it shows its face.
Do your chores today so you don't have to listen to your mother
nag all week. Do your homework when you get home, so you don't have
to stress about your grades. If you've been meaning to tell someone
something, tell them. Just think for a second how good you'll feel
when you have finished the duty you most dread. Then do it so you
can feel that way!
Don't overload your schedule.
Teens can be incredibly busy, always running
from one thing to the next. School and homework consume a lot of
time. When you add activities on top of that like sports, jobs,
clubs, music lessons, and hobbies it can be very difficult to fit
everything in. If you are stressed because you don't have enough
time to finish your homework, practice your musical instrument,
or whatever it is, consider making time for yourself by dropping
one of your activities. If you do, you may be able to get more out
of the activities that are most important to you.
Don't forget to make time
to relax
Reserve time for yourself. Exercise, such as
running, can provide a feeling of freedom and a time for thought
and reflection. Maybe you relax by writing in a journal, listening
to music, rollerblading or walking the dog. Make sure you take time
every week to relax in your own way. This will refresh your mind,
and will give your mind the rest it needs in order to focus on important
activities during the week.
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