Stress is good for you to an extent. It helps you stay alert and safe, but if the stress becomes too much or you aren't coping with it correctly, it can be bad. Coping strategies for stress work differently for everyone. It's not one size fits all. Each person will have a couple ways to cope with stress that works best for them. I've found a few that will hopefully work for you too.
1. Go for a walk
Taking a walk around your area can be very beneficial. It removes you from the routine and allows you to get some fresh air. It gives you time to think things through without getting worked up about it.
2. Yoga
I know this is a common one but it works for many people. I'm an anxious person. When my roommate and I enrolled in a yoga class at my college, it helped us release our stress and taught us how to let the stresses melt away for even just a short while. We both walked out of each class calm and ready to tackle any stresses that we had.
3. Breathing exercises
When you are highly stressed or anxious, you go into "fight" or "flight" mode. Your heart races and you get sweaty and mind races. One of the best ways I've found to calm my heart beat and my anxiety is with breathing exercises. There are so many variation but the one that works best for me is inhaling for eight seconds and exhaling for eight seconds.
4. Talk to someone about it.
Whether it's a professional or a friend/family member, talking it out can help relieve some of the stress, especially if that person can be a voice of reason. Having someone look at the situation from an outside perspective can help you find a solution or a different way to look at the circumstances.
These four things are the best ways I deal with stress and anxiety when it becomes too much. If it becomes overwhelming or debilitating, your best but is probably to seek help from a psychologist. Anxiety disorders are no joke and a psychologist or psychiatrist will be able to help. Hopefully these ways to cope with stress will help relieve some stress before it gets that far.
