April is National Stress Awareness Month!
Managing stress can be difficult and overwhelming. For the month of April, we will focus on tools and resources to healthily address stress.
Tips from the American Heart Association for Managing Stress:
Positive Self Talk
Shifting negative thoughts to positive thoughts can help you calm down and reduce stress.
Negative to Positive
“I can’t do this” “I’ll do the best I can. I’ve got this”
“I hate when this happens” “I know how to deal with this—I’ve done it before”
“I feel helpless and alone” “I can reach out and get help if I need it”
“I can’t believe I screwed up” “I’m human, and we all make mistakes”
“I’m too overwhelmed to do anything” “I can accomplish one thing at a time”
Emergency Stress Stoppers
1. Count to 10 before you speak or react.
2. Take a few slow, deep breaths until you feel your body un-clench a bit.
3. Go for a walk, even if it’s just to the restroom and back. It can give you a chance to think things through.
4. Try a quick meditation or prayer to get some perspective.
5. If it’s not urgent, sleep on it and respond tomorrow. This works especially well for stressful emails and social media trolls.
6. Walk away from the situation for a while, and handle it later once things have calmed down.
7. Break down big problems into smaller parts. Take one step at a time.
8. Turn on some chill music or an inspirational podcast to help you deal with road rage.
9. Take a break to pet the dog, hug a loved one or do something to help someone else.
10. Work out or do something active. Exercise is a great antidote for stress.
Breathing Techniques for Anxiety
Resources for Parents of Children with Anxiety Disorders
WEBSITES
• The Child Anxiety Network: www.childanxiety.net
• WorryWise Kids: www.worrywisekids.org
• Temple University's Child and Adolescent Anxiety Disorders Clinic: www.childanxiety.org
• UCLA Child and Adolescent OCD, Anxiety, and Tic Disorders Program: www.npi.ucla.edu/caap/
• New York University Child Study Center: www.aboutourkids.org • Massachusetts General Hospital School Psychiatry Program and MADI Resource Center: www.massgeneral.org/schoolpsychiatry/info_anxiety.asp • Anxiety Disorders Association of America: www.adaa.org • The Center for Mental Health Services: www.mentalhealth.org
• American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: www.aacap.org
• Academy of Cognitive Therapy: www.academyofct.org
• Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies: www.abct.org
• Pamela Rand's YoGuides: www.yoguides.com
(Website resources are courtesy of Stanford University)
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