13 Stress Management Tips and Mantras

Stress: a six letter word that can wreak havoc on anyone, causing undue pain and sorrow. As a clinician who has a certification in Stress Management, I have found that using a whole-person approach has been the best way to create effective change around a patient’s understanding and experience of stress. When discussing their stress, I include the sources, as well as the resources they’ve been using to address it. With a large emphasis on mindfulness, my patients and I develop a treatment plan together. The plan is tailored to their needs.

Though each treatment plan is specific to its patient, there are common skills I teach everyone that help enact change.

Here are 13 Stress Management Tips and Mantras that I believe everyone can adopt:

1. Keep a balanced attitude.

Some life coaches and clinicians will encourage their clients to have a “positive attitude.” As a Libra, Jedi, and Integrative Psychology Therapist, I believe in balance. “Negative” or uncomfortable emotions are meant to teach us, and give us growing pains. Therefore, I teach my patients to find balance in their attitude. If they notice their thoughts either weighing on them, or elating them more than usual, it may be time for a mental check-in. Both extremes could be a sign that stress has increased, and that you are managing it by living in an unhealthy reality.

The mantra here is “The more the world leans, the more I am balanced.”

2. Accept that there are events that you cannot control.

When something has disrupted our lives that we feel was unfair,  we often worry, obsess, and stress over it. This inability to face the truth about a situation causes us undo turmoil. Some situations really are not within our control. We may be right in thinking that they should be, but when they aren’t I teach my patients to learn acceptance about the experience. Acceptance allows us to move forward.

The mantra here is “Acceptance sets me free.”

3. Be assertive, aggressive or passive.

Do assert your feelings, opinions, or beliefs. Do not get defensive. Assertiveness is a social skill. Individuals who are assertive are able to express their point without acting passively or aggressively. This communication style is calm, straightforward, and leaves both speaker and listener feeling understood. One common misconception about being assertive is that only extroverts can do it. No. Assertiveness does not mean you’re a social butterfly. What it means is that your are able to express your needs in order to get them met appropriately.

The mantra here is “I raise my words, not my voice.”

4. Learn and practice relaxation techniques.

Learn techniques such as meditation, yoga, or Tai-Chi. Any one of these will allow you to master your breathing, create awareness of changes in your body, and allow you to know what peace of mind should feel like. Once you’ve gained those skills, it will be easy to detect when stress is creeping in. For individuals who may be too busy to attend classes to learn these skills, downloading a meditation app can be very useful.

The mantra here is “I am still. I am present. I am mindful.”

5. Exercise regularly.

Chronic stress can decrease your immune system and make our bodies more susceptible to illness. Regular exercise will not only stimulate dopamine, it will also increase social engagement and physical-emotional regulation. If going to the gym is too expensive, create a regular exercise routine by subscribing to a YouTube channel that you can follow along with.

The mantra here is “For my mind to do more, my body must do more.”

6. Eat healthy.

Eating a well-balanced meal will provide nourishment that can prevent serious medical issues down the line. Medical issues and sickness can increase stress, and stress can increase medical issues and sickness. I always advise patients to speak with their doctor or nutritionist to create a healthy eating plan. For my personal life, I’ve incorporated a portion plate, so I am mindful of what I am eating, and what is missing from my diet.

The mantra here is “I eat what will nourish me.”

7. Learn time management.

One of the largest stressors everyone faces is time. We feel that there is not enough time to get everything done, or spend too much time on meaningless tasks. Creating a schedule and learning to manage your time will drastically help manage your stress. This is a skill set I help my patients with regularly, and one that takes many sessions to learn. We discuss and create habits that are beneficial to them, that they know they can adopt. I also encourage them to speak to friends, family, and coworkers that they believe are good at time management to see if there are any skills that could be gained from their support network.

The mantra here is “My time is precious, so I will use it wisely.”

8. Set limits.

It is important for you to learn boundaries. If people make requests of you that would create excessive stress in your life, you must learn to say no. It is not your job to be everyone’s hero. It is your job to be your hero. If you are too stressed to enjoy your daily life because of how busy you are, then you have stretched yourself too far. Evaluate your relationships with other people, and your relationship with yourself. If you find people naturally ask you for help, stop and ask yourself how often you ask for help from others. If the giving and receiving doesn’t match, then you will experience undue stress. For anyone who relies too heavily on others: this too can cause stress, as it creates the belief that you are not in-control of your life. Set a boundary with yourself by asking, do you really need the assistance? Sometimes people who rely heavily on others do so because they do not trust themselves and their own judgement.

The mantra here is “I honor myself and others when I set boundaries.”

9. Make time for joy.

Learn to include  time for hobbies, interests, and relaxation in your schedule. If you do not make your time for enjoyment as important as your time for work, you will overwork yourself, and drown in stress. This will increase your risk of developing sickness and mental health issues. If you find that you don’t “feel up to having fun,” this could be a sign of more serious mental health concerns. Do a check-in. Ask yourself when you last had fun, or when you last truly enjoyed an activity you were doing? If it starts to be hard to remember, then now is the time to make a shift. Plan a small staycation, go to a local park, go to the museum. Do something unexpected. Planning time for joyful activities doesn’t have to be a grand gesture, either. It can be quiet time to read a book, walking your dog, or going to a local flower shop and actually smelling the roses.

The mantra here is “I find wonder and joy in my daily life.”

10. Get enough rest and sleep.

Sleep deprivation is quickly becoming a crisis in the United States. People complain about not getting enough sleep, sleeping too much but not feeling rested, or sleeping for what they think is long enough and yet feeling tired all day. When stressful events occur, this can completely shake your physical and emotional self. This means needing more time for recovery, which means needing more restful sleep. I always inform my patients who have sleep problems to consult with their doctor and see if they should do a sleep study or take medication. My patients and I also discuss sleep hygiene habits that will ensure restful sleep.

The mantra here is “My sleep will be restful and deep.”

11. Avoid alcohol, drugs, or compulsive behaviors to reduce stress.

When people are stressed, they turn to alcohol, cigarettes, or shopping to help them cope. Often these “coping skills” become addictive behaviors, where people no longer know how to cope with stress without them. When these become the primary methods used to cope, the behaviors become adverse symptoms that can lead to mental and physical health issues. Attempting to numb or avoid stress will not make the stress go away. Instead it compounds it. I encourage my patients to track how often they gravitate toward these habits, in order to gauge when they are becoming dependent on them.

The mantra here is “Healthy habits mean healthy living.”

12. Use your support system.

How often do you reach out to others for assistance? Who are the people you can truly rely on? These may be tricky questions if stress has led you to isolate yourself or fall into the belief that you can’t be helped. Making attempts to utilize your support system not only shows them you need assistance, it also shows them that you trust that they can assist you. In the beginning, to learn to grow this skill, make the requests small. Ask for an item to be picked up at the grocery store by your roommate. Ask your partner to sort the laundry for you so you can wash it when you get home. Ask your co-worker to grab you a cup of coffee on the way to work. Remember that your support system wants to be used. Everyone likes feeling that they are of use, so really you’re doing them a favor.

The mantra here is “With a little help from my friends.”

13. Seek treatment with a mental health professional.

As a therapist, I will always advocate for seeing a mental health professional. When chronic stress goes untreated, or undetected, it can quickly turn into or trigger an underlying mental health related disorder. Learning coping skills for stress management takes time and encouragement. A mental health professional is there to support you. When looking for the right professional, look for anyone who has training in stress management or specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy. These individuals will arm you with the skills to battle stress.

The mantra here is “My therapist is my mindful warrior.”

What do you do to alleviate stress? Did you follow any tips? Tell me in the comments section below!

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