Are You Stressed Out?

Stress can be positive (feelings of excitement and increased energy) or negative (feelings of fear, pressure or being overwhelmed). Stress can be caused by expected events (i.e. entering a new school, graduation, or moving) or by unexpected life events, (such as an accident or death).

The Effects of Stress
Stress can effect us in physical, emotional and behavioural ways. Some of the more common symptoms include:

How stressed are you? Take a stress test to find out.

Some Ways to Reduce Your Stress

• Exercise - even 5 or 10 minutes can help

• Journal your thoughts and feelings

• Listen to music

• Call a friend or family member

• Be optimistic - think positively

• Keep your sense of humour - laughing can help, act silly

• Breathe deeply

• Soak in the bathtub

• Light some candles

• Know your priorities - learn to say no

• Anticipate stressors - many things that cause us stress we know are coming (i.e. exams), develop a plan of action before they happen

• Take care of yourself - eat well and get lots of sleep

• Compartmentalize - break a big problem down into smaller pieces, then attack one piece at a time

• Treat yourself - make a list of 10 enjoyable things and do one each day

• Take a break - give yourself a chance to relax

• Accept that things are often out of your control

• Avoid doing more than one thing at a time

• Get organized - schedule fun things into your day, just like your scheduled work

What not to do:

• Don’t try to be perfect

• Don’t overreact

• Don’t feel guilty for taking a break

• Don’t worry - it’s wasted energy, try to do something more positive with your time

Remember: stressed is desserts spelled backwards!

For help with stress management contact
the Teen Health Centre at (519)253-8481
and ask to speak to a counsellor