It is important to remember that coping strategies are not one-off. We need to take care of our bodies and minds proactively. Having a healthy body and mind helps being more resilient towards potential stressors.
• Working out is the best stress management technique according to research.
• Meditation and mindfulness techniques are valuable in building resilience and bringing our thoughts to the here and now. This helps us with depersonalisation and rumination – getting consumed by negative and intrusive thoughts.
• A healthy lifestyle helps our nervous, endocrine and immune systems which are else known as the systems participating in stress response.
• Having a good support network has been proven to be a protective factor towards depression which is associated with stress and anxiety.
• Increased screen time can affect sleeping patterns, anxiety, eating habits, academic performance and more. All these are associated with distress. It is important to monitor it and keep it limited.
See one of my short videos here.
The list goes on but these are the most efficient techniques today according to
a. Research, and
b. Observations and experiences of my own clients.
Remember though that the way you cope towards distress can be very different. What I usually advise my clients is to approach stress management with an experimental curiosity and try new and different things. This way you can really see what works for you best and what is easier to incorporate into your own daily routines.
If you feel that you need help to understand what could work best for you to manage stress and build resilience, then please feel free to contact me. I will be happy to help!