Short Term Stress Management Strategy

The goal of managing stress is to bring your mind and body back

into balance. There are short term and long term strategies that I work with my clients in my counselling clinic in Ballincollig and my counselling clinic in Aghada, Midleton.

Short Term Stress Management Strategy

• Start to recognise that you feel stressed – If you know when you feel Stressed you can do something about it. Need to be more Mindful on what is going on for you. Check In and Ask yourself regularly: What’s happening with Me: what are my thoughts, emotions, sensations? What Meaning am I giving it?
• Need to ensure we have Perspective on what is going on right now. So ask ourselves:
  • Is this fact or opinion?
  • Is there anything I can change about this situation, right now?
  • How important is it right now?
  • What would someone else make of this?
  • What’s the bigger picture?

What are my options?

On review of the immediate issues I have – Choose which of A B C options below work best for me in this situation or what combination do I need right now.

 A. Change

• • Ask myself :
  • What can I change here /right now?
    • My Environment
    • The Situation
    • My reaction
  • How can I make these changes?
  • What resources do I need?
  • When can I do it?
  • What do I do first?

 B. Accept
 If I cannot make changes right now, work on Accepting the situation or part of the situation as it is for now.

• • Keep saying and reminding self:
    • It is as it is
    • I don’t have to agree with it, or judge it good or bad
    • I can always come back to it later
    • I can keep my options open for now
  • Reassure self that the feelings we are experiencing of stress/anxiety/angry/sad etc., – these are normal feelings and others feel the same in similar situations.
  • If the body is firing the stress response of Fight/Flight/Freeze – reassure self that this is a normal body reaction. I don’t have to fight it, or try to stop it. It will pass.

C. Let Go
What can I let go of here – Ask myself

• • Is it worth it?
  • Is this something I can leave or let go of, and move on from?
  • Can I forgive myself or possibly the other person / people in the situation?

Serenity Prayer

God, grant me the Serenity

To accept the things I cannot change.

The courage to change the things I can,

And the Wisdom to know the difference.