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Identifying unrelieved stress and being aware of its effect on our lives is not sufficient for reducing its harmful effects. Just as there are many sources of stress, there are many possibilites for its management. However, all require work toward change: changing the source of stress and / or changing your reaction to it. How do you proceed?

1. Become Aware of Your Stress and Your Emotional and Physical Reactions.

* Notice your distress.
* Don’t ignore it.
* Don’t gloss over your problems.
* Determine what events distress you.
* What are you telling yourself about meaning of these events?
* Determine how your body responds to the stress.
* Do you become nervous or physically upset? If so, in what specific ways?

2. Recognize What You Can Change.

* Can you change your stresses by avoiding or eliminating them completely?
* Can you reduce their intensity (manage them over a period of time instead of on a daily or weekly basis?)
* Can you shorten your exposure to stress (take a break, leave the physical premises)?
* Can you devote the time and energy necessary to making a change (goal setting, time management techniques, and delayed gratification strategies may be helpful here)?

3. Reduce the Intensity of Your Emotional Reactions to Stress.

* The stress reaction is triggered by your perception of danger… physical danger and / or emotional danger. Are viewing your stresses in exaggerated terms and / or taking a difficult situation and making it a disaster?
* Are you expecting to please everyone?
* Are you overacting and viewing things as absolutely critical and urgent?
* Do you feel you must always prevail in every situation?

Ask those questions to yourself if you happend to encounter stresses along your journey towards the reality of life. This will guide you as how to manage your stress and avoid it as much as possible. Keep in mind that stress is not healthy and might possibly trigger your emotional and physical health.