Building Strategies to Manage Stress

How can you manage stress?

In our first activity about managing stress we introduced what stress is and why it can be both good and bad. The good news is that it is possible to manage stress to stop it from becoming overwhelming. The steps you take to manage stress are your coping strategies. Over time, you will learn new strategies – some will work well for you and others might not. Some strategies might be more useful in some situations than others, depending on what is causing your feelings of stress. The more strategies you know about, the more likely it is that you will be able to cope with various stressful situations.

Feel good themes

Meditate Talk to a friend Listen to music Replace fizzy drinks with water Eat 5 portions of fruit and veg a day Reduce salt and sugar Go for a walk/run Playing sport Cycling Try a new hobby Learn a new skill Try volunteering

What will you try next?

Here are some top tips from other students on how you can deal with some of the stressful situations you will encounter at school, college or university.

Set your own deadlines – by setting your own deadlines in advance of the actual hand-in date you can take control of the situation, manage multiple coursework assignments that might be due at the same time, and if you do fall behind you have time to catch up.

Don’t isolate yourself – by talking to friends, family and teachers about things that make you feel stressed, worried or anxious you can get support from those around you. You are not alone, others might have similar concerns to you and perhaps have found some useful strategies to cope. As the saying goes: “a problem shared is a problem halved!”

Meditate – Having lots of things on our mind can make us feel stressed and anxious. It can distract from what is important to us. Meditation helps you relax and focuses your mind.

Avoid caffeine – Caffeine might seem like an easy solution to feeling tired, but it can actually increase feelings of stress and anxiety.

Sleep 7-9 hours every night – Sleep contributes to the effective function of virtually every system of the body. A lack of sleep has been linked to mental health difficulties such as anxiety, lower grades in school, and it exacerbates feelings of stress.

Exercise to relieve stress – Exercising regularly can have a positive effect on your mood by relieving the tension and anxiety that often go hand-in-hand with stress. It can improve the quality of your sleep, which can be negatively impacted by stress and anxiety. It can also help boost your confidence levels and general physical health.

Ask for help when you need it – Knowing when to ask for help is a strength, not a sign of weakness. Speak to people you trust if you are feeling stressed, anxious or worried about something. That could be a friend, a teacher or someone in your family. If you would prefer to speak to someone outside of your family/friends then you can contact Childline: 0800 1111.