It’s Sunday evening, and you have a deadline you need to meet by Monday morning. You’re on your fifth cup of coffee, the work is only halfway done, and now your computer just crashed. You grit your teeth and fight the urge to scream because you’ll wake up everyone in the house.

You still need to finish, but now your nerves are frayed, and you can’t focus.

Stress is an emotion everyone experiences. Whether you’re a student or a working adult, there’s no doubt you’re familiar with the feeling of tension that stress brings. Stress can come from just about anywhere. It can come from less serious matters like your hockey team losing, or from more serious issues like losing a loved one. No matter what causes you to feel stress, it doesn’t change the fact that you’re feeling that emotion, and it is perfectly valid to feel that way.

Once you’ve acknowledged that you’re feeling stressed out, the next challenge is figuring out how to calm yourself down by managing stress. Without the right stress management techniques, it is possible to develop an anxiety disorder. Rising cortisol levels cause stress in the brain, but it isn’t a mystical force that’s out of your control. Like how simple things can stress you out, there are simple ways to rid yourself of stress.

Here are four easy ways to help you better manage your stress:

1: Meditate

You’ve probably heard this before, and I know what you’re thinking: The same old advice? Don’t they have anything new to suggest? But there’s a reason why meditation has been used as a stress management technique for millennia: Meditation really works!

You think meditation is too time-consuming for your schedule. But there are several meditation apps on the market that provide you with a quick fix. Most meditation apps have 5-minute to 15-minute sessions that you can easily follow during your lunch break or between classes. All you need to do is find a nice quiet spot and relax in a comfortable position.

2: Take a break

It’s tempting to force yourself to keep working. It’s what’s causing you to feel stressed, so finishing it ASAP might be just what you need to relax…right? Sometimes, a go-getter attitude isn’t what you need but rather some time away.

You don’t need to book a flight to Cancun to relax. Separate yourself from the situation for an hour or two and do something else. Take a step outside and get some fresh air or have a nap. When you come back to finish your task, your mind will be refreshed. That makes it easier to approach the problem in a different, more effective way.

3: Be kind to yourself

It’s all too easy to think badly of ourselves when we struggle with a problem. But, this just makes you stress out more! And does nothing to ease the anxiety you’re feeling. As cheesy as it sounds, it’s important to be kind to yourself in high-stress situations.

Next time you feel stressed out, pause, and assess the way you talk to yourself. Do you call yourself stupid for messing up? Do you beat yourself up over situations outside of your control? The way we talk about ourselves can shape how we feel, not just about the situation but also about ourselves. Replace negative self-talk with gentle, more realistic talk like ‘I may be having a hard time, but a lot of people would find this tough. This helps you build confidence in your ability to deal with stressful situations.

4: Journal

While the previous tips focused on the emotional management side of managing stress, journaling has a more direct, solution-oriented technique. Bullet journaling is a proactive approach to stress that helps you mitigate stressful situations or, if possible, avoid them altogether.

Using the bullet journal system, you can easily categorize your priorities and plot out your plan of attack over the coming week. When you can see all of your goals, to-dos, and deadlines listed, you may be surprised to see how much time you actually have! Not to mention, bullet journaling itself is a relaxing process where you can just tune out for a couple of hours and enjoy writing.

Managing stress is a crucial aspect of daily life, but sometimes it gets too much for us to handle on our own. When things get too overwhelming, it’s best to get in touch with an anxiety therapist in Winnipeg that can help you alleviate your stress.

Begin Anxiety Counselling to Manage Stress in Winnipeg:

You don’t have to struggle with your stress. At My Winnipeg Therapist, our therapists can teach you stress management techniques that can help you from feeling anxiety. You deserve to feel more in control. Our caring therapists are ready to teach you those techniques. Overcoming your stress and anxiety is a gradual process, but successful clients know it takes time and commitment. If you’re ready, you can begin counselling in Winnipeg by following these easy steps:

1. Schedule a free 15-minute consultation
2. Schedule an appointment with one of our caring therapists
3. Learn countless techniques to help manage stress

Other Services offered at My Winnipeg Therapist

Support for managing stress is not the only service we offer. At our Winnipeg-based therapy practice, we offer a variety of mental health services to help you feel less tense. Our counselling services also include anxiety relief, depression counselling, teen therapy, and trauma counselling and PTSD treatment. Additionally, we offer online therapy for adults and teens living in the Manitoba province. Contact our counselling clinic to learn more!