Family Service of the Piedmont

Assessing your Current Stress Management Skills

Do you have your favorite stress busters? Do you find that you tend to stick to the same techniques, despite the situation? Do you find that in some situations, nothing you seem to do alleviates your stress level? If you find that your coping mechanisms aren’t working as well as they have in the past, you need to consider expanding your repertoire or range of skills. Below you will find some common stress skills that have proven effective in managing stress.

Personal Management Skills:
Invest your time wisely in appropriate tasks and projects
Determine your personal and professional goals in life
Make progress toward your personal and professional goals
Set appropriate boundaries and priorities in your life
Pace yourself
Manage your time well
Divide tough jobs into manageable smaller tasks

Relationship Skills:
Reach out to others for help, when needed
Listen to others, accepting feedback and suggestions
Learn to say "no"
Stand your ground for something you believe in
Know when to back down and let things go
Remove yourself from a situation when things become too stressful
Become genuinely connected to others
Remember to express gratitude and appreciation to others
Believe that other people have good ideas, valuable skills and a basic willingness to do what needs to be done

Self-Care Skills:
Exercise regularly
Eat healthy
Take care of yourself in others ways, physically, emotionally, spiritually
Know how to relax or practice relaxation techniques
Stretch to release tension in your muscles
Learn to appreciate your strengths and assets
Enjoy solitude on a regular basis
Remain optimistic, even when things go wrong
Know the difference between stress that challenges and stress that threatens
Feel in control of your life
Know your limit to the amount of challenge, pressure, and stress you can handle effectively

Outlook Skills:
Approach stressful situations as challenges rather than problems
Ask yourself, "In 50 years, who will know or care"
Realize that you will die someday and choose wisely every moment
Let go of those things you cannot control
Accept your own limitations
Value curiosity, imagination and humor in self and others
Talk nicely to yourself

It is important not to only be knowledgeable of stress management techniques, but to also understand which techniques will work best for you. No single strategy is right for everyone. You must take an honest look at yourself and decide what makes the most sense. One of the most important factors in determining the success of a stress management technique is not the type of technique selected, but rather how well in fits your lifestyle, your commitment to change and your desire and attitude regarding your success.

You need to strike an appropriate balance by matching your personality type to a stress management technique that you can commit to follow through that will yield positive results for you.