According to the World Health Organization (WHO), stress is “a natural human response that prompts us to address challenges and threats in our lives.” It’s not always negative but can be positive and motivate you to get things done. Emotional stress refers to stressors and situations that evoke an emotional response, such as sadness, anger, worry and fear. Common to everyone at one time or another, when the stressor underlying the emotion interferes with daily activities, it can be problematic. Here are three simple tips for helping you manage emotional stress.
- Take action on tomorrow’s worries: If you find yourself getting stuck in “what if” thinking, take action. Consider writing down all the ‘what if’ worries and topics that are of concern, then add what you would do if if the each comes to pass. Writing down worries helps to ease them while providing you with a practical action plan.
- Reflect: Take 5 minutes to reflect on your life. What are you proud of? What has been your best achievement? What gives you joy? Purposefully thinking good thoughts, reflecting on the positive improves mood and outlook.
- Smile: Reflect on your week and write down 3 things that have made you smile. Keep in mind that it takes nearly 50 muscles to frown and less than 15 to smile.
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