Stress Management for the Easily Stressed Person

 Probably the best way to not get stressed is to avoid doing anything, such as going to school, working, having a significant other, and having to pay bills. While at times this all may sound appealing, obviously it's not feasible, and probably would not be a very high quality of life for most people.

Therefore, given that most people do have a variety of things, both professionally and personally, that can cause stress, minimizing the onset of stressful situations when possible, and using basic strategies to manage stress in the moment, are among the best ways to combat stress effectively.

That being said, here are a few tips to help reduce stress:

1)     Adopt and adjust time management/organization skills. Many individuals feel stressed when they are overwhelmed with schoolwork, work at the office, household chores, and other items. If you can have a plan to get these items done, and stick to it, that will help ease stress from being overwhelmed. With these types of plans, focusing on what you have to do in the next few hours, or even day, can help reduce stress. However, this only works well if you have successfully planned out how to carry out other tasks over the next week or even multiple weeks to prevent having trouble getting things done.  In terms of time management, to-do lists can be a good start. Create one list for all current tasks you have to do (i.e, open cases/projects for work) and a separate one for what you will do at work each day. Then, write out a schedule for when during the day you will work on each task. For personal tasks, create a separate to-do list with all tasks and another one if feasible for daily tasks. Using apps such as Reminders, To-Do, Wunderlist, and EverNote can work very well. Paper lists are also very useful.

2)     Make sure that even if you are very busy during the week, that you do a few things for yourself on a daily basis. Items could include: working out, watching your favorite television show, spending a half hour at the pool before or after work, cooking dinner (if you enjoy cooking). 

3)     Try to incorporate a few bigger items that you really enjoy into your week, even when you are very busy. Items could include: playing a round of golf, playing tennis, weekly happy hour with friends, or date night. 

4)     When stressed in the moment, try taking a five minute break, listening to music, going for a walk, using guided visual imagery/progressive muscle relaxation, or squeezing a stress ball five times with each hand.

I hope that these tips have been helpful.

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Dr. Carey Heller is a licensed psychologist with The Heller Psychology Group LLC in Bethesda, Maryland. He specializes in work with children, adolescents, and families, and is happy to answer questions and provide consultations for individuals who are considering pursuing treatment, an evaluation, or other services for their child, adolescent, or themselves. Dr. Heller can be reached at (301)-385-2610 or careyheller@thehellerpsychologygroup.com.

*Disclaimer: The previous information is intended as general guidance based on my professional opinion, does not constitute an established professional relationship,  and should not replace the recommendations of a psychologist or other licensed professional with whom you initiate or maintain a professional relationship*