A Stresser’s Guide to Stress

Imagine thinking every little thing in your world is at odds. Everything that should be working well, doesn’t. What does this most likely lead to? STRESS.

At twenty years old I know a little but more than I feel I should about stress. It is something that disrupts your entire element and psyche. It honestly makes you feel so out of yourself that you can feel like no matter what it is, you feel that it 99.9% of the time will go wrong.

I categorize myself as a recovering stresser, someone who often can have a relapse but doesn’t stress as much as they use to. Here are some things I picked up through the first-hand experience that can help you or someone else in your life that is struggling with a stress session.

1. Don’t tell a stressed person they have no reason to be stressed

While on the outside it doesn’t seem like the end of the world or a big deal, to that person it IS a big deal. To them it is life or death, sink or float and telling them they have no reason to be is more of a hindrance than a help.

1. Don’t add to the stress

Just like #1, just because it may not seem like a big deal to you doesn’t mean it isn’t to them. This goes along with unintentionally adding to the stress. You may not mean to but it can be easy to accidentally make the stress worse.

1. Remind them they aren’t alone

Stressing about some things can easily turn into a small bout of depression if you only stress all day. When I went through my long-term depression, I felt really alone. Each situation is different of course but it can never hurt to remind the person they aren’t facing this adversity alone.

1. Relax

This is can be hard. Trying to relax with so many different things on your mind but it can also be the most helpful. When I finally told my parents everything I was facing, we took a family trip to my favorite beach place about a week later. Being near the water was very calming and even helped fill my mind with optimism. Other ways to relax can be taking a yoga class, hanging out with people who understand your situation, or even doing things you enjoy that remind you of before the conflict.

1. Come to Terms

Let’s face it, we all have the tendency to stress over things that are beyond our control. It’s a sad but true reality. Something that is helpful is coming to terms with the things we are stressing over that we can not control the outcome of. Once you let go of the things you can’t control, the ones you can control become clearer.

While every case with stress and everyone dealing with stress handles it differently but here are some tips that can help you destress and find some inner peace amongst yourself.