“You’re only 15! What are you so stressed about?” said Kellie
“School, parents, brothers and sisters!” replied Janie
“Oh come on! It aint that bad!” said Kellie
“I need to smoke!” said Janie
“Whoa there, now you’re being dramatic!”exclaimed Kellie
There are many ways to cope with stress. Some people may think that coping with stress only means too do unhealthy things as in smoke, drink, inject, get high, etc. But, there a lot of healthy and harmless ways to cope with stress. As in taking deep breaths, taking walks, meditating, praying, exercising, etc. But there are different ways to deal with it and there is an order it goes in. First, you avoid unnecessary stress. Not all stress can be avoided, and it’s not healthy to avoid a situation that needs to be addressed. You may be surprised, however, by the number of stressors in your life that you can eliminate. You could learn how to say “no” – Know your limits and stick to them. Whether in your personal or professional life, refuse to accept added responsibilities when you’re close to reaching them. Taking on more than you can handle is a surefire recipe for stress. You could also, avoid people who stress you out – If someone consistently causes stress in your life and you can’t turn the relationship around, limit the amount of time you spend with that person or end the relationship entirely. Lastly take control of your environment – If the evening news makes you anxious, turn the TV off. If traffic’s got you tense, take a longer but less-traveled route. If going to the market is an unpleasant chore, do your grocery shopping online.
Next, you alter the situation. If you can’t avoid a stressful situation, try to alter it. Figure out what you can do to change things so the problem doesn’t present itself in the future. Often, this involves changing the way you communicate and operate in your daily life. You could express your feelings instead of bottling them up. If something or