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Healthy Ways to Cope With Stress

Between work, school, and family, stress can affect many different areas of your life. Stress is an emotion that can be difficult to handle if you don’t use the right methods, and it can quickly become overwhelming. It’s vital that you find healthy ways to cope with stress that work for you, as not all methods will work the same from person to person.

At Innerspace Counseling in Old Bridge, we specialize in helping children, teens, and adults deal with a variety of mental health conditions, from stress and burnout to anxiety and depression. If you or someone you know is struggling to deal with the stress in their life, then our team is here to help. Explore the counseling services we have to offer and give us a call to schedule an appointment. In the meantime, continue reading below to learn more about some of the healthy ways in which you can cope with stress.

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Try to Identify the Source of the Stress

When you’ve been struggling to deal with stress for a long time, it can be difficult to try and find the original cause. However, identifying what is causing you stress can go a long way in helping you find a solution. For example, if you start feeling stressed about work, then it could be due to a number of different things, such as a new hire that doesn’t pull their weight, a report you’re supposed to turn in, or even a lack of communication from those around you. Try to think back to when you started to feel stressed and what may have caused that emotion. Once you’ve figured out what is causing you stress, it can be much easier to move forward and to find a solution.

Avoid Unnecessary Stress

You may be under the impression that all stress is unavoidable, but that isn’t necessarily the case. We’re not saying that all stress is avoidable, but there are many stressful situations that you may bring upon yourself. For example, if you have a busy schedule and a good friend asks you to help them plan a party, then you could say yes and add even more work to your plate, or you could avoid the inevitable stress and tell them no because you already have too many other things to do.

Remember that it’s okay to say no to people, especially if saying yes to everything is part of the reason you’re feeling stressed. You can also look for people in your life who may be causing you stress or eliminate certain situations in your life that cause you stress.

Make Time for Relaxation

Packing your schedule full of activities, meetings, and other tasks is a sure-fire way to add stress into your life. In order to maintain good mental health, it’s important to take some time for yourself to relax and unwind after a busy day. For this reason, we recommend scheduling time for relaxation every day, or at least as often as possible. If you continue to pack your schedule, then you may feel like you’re being productive and getting things done, but after a while, you can start to feel overwhelmed, stressed, and generally burned out. It’s a good idea to create a balance of getting things done and finding time to relax so that you and your brain can enjoy the peace and quiet.

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Take Time to Clear Your Head

If you’re feeling stressed because of a specific situation or task, then take a moment to walk away and clear your head. Some people may feel determined to stick with a problem until it’s resolved, but this often only adds to the stress and can make it more difficult to find a solution. Instead, give yourself permission to walk away, move on to something else, and maybe even take a break to help remove some of the stress from your mind. You may even find that doing so gives you enough clarity to come back and tackle the issue quickly.

Reach Out for Support

There are a variety of different methods that you can adopt for dealing with stress. Some people like to exercise, practice yoga, or hang out with people who make them happy. However, if you can’t seem to find anything that helps you eliminate your stress or you’ve decided to turn to unhealthy coping methods such as drugs or alcohol, then it may be time to seek support.

Support can come from many different places, including family, friends, or even a professional. Depending on the source of your stress, you may even be able to find a support group for people dealing with similar situations.

Contact Innerspace Counseling Today!

If you’re having trouble dealing with your stress, and you would like to speak to a licensed professional, then our team at Innerspace Counseling is here to help. We proudly offer support to those in Old Bridge and the surrounding area, whether you’re an adult, teen, or child. Explore our website to learn more about the counseling services that we offer, and give us a call to schedule an appointment.

We look forward to helping you.