Healthy and Unhealthy Ways to Deal With Stress

Some coping strategies may temporarily reduce stress, but may eventually cause more damage in the long run. There are also ways of dealing with stress that can be effective but are not socially acceptable. The goal is to find effective ways to deal with stress that are also better for you and socially acceptable.

Here is a short list of ways to deal with stress that may cause long-term harm or are less socially acceptable:

• Smoking
• Drinking too much
• Overeating or undereating
• Zoning out for hours in front of the TV or computer
• Withdrawing from friends, family, and activities
• Using pills or drugs to relax
• Sleeping too much
• Procrastinating
• Filling up every minute of the day to avoid facing problems
• Taking out your stress on others (angry outbursts, physical violence)

We all deal with stress in our own ways, but there are ways to deal with stress that are positive and more socially acceptable. Here are some ways that you may want to try if you don’t already use them:

• Go for a walk.
• Spend time in nature.
• Call a good friend.
• Sweat out tension with a good workout.
• Write in your journal.
• Take a long bath.
• Light scented candles.
• Savor a warm cup of coffee or tea.
• Play with a pet.
• Work in your garden.
• Get a massage.
• Curl up with a good book.
• Listen to music.
• Watch a comedy.