14 Ways to Cope With It All
1. Be resilient.
It’s easier to deal with life if you can adapt to a variety of situations.
2. Be open minded.
It’s easier to be critical of a situation or a person, especially if those around you are doing so. Don’t let others be a negative influence on you. Keep an open mind and come to your own conclusions and you’ll experience things in a more positive way.
3. Be yourself.
Other people may have an opinion on how you should handle things, but you have to do what works for you. You know yourself best – have confidence in your ability to handle things in your own way and in your own time.
4. Keep Laughing.
Keep things from getting too serious by hanging on to your sense of humor. Find ways to have fun, and plan time with uplifting friends - a good laugh will make you feel a lot better
5. Meet new people.
One of the best antidotes for feeling down is to go out and meet new people or participate in new activities. You may find that despite your difficulties, there’s still a lot out there to enjoy.
6. Don’t sweat the small stuff.
A renowned cardiologist’s philosophy for dealing with stress: (1) Don’t sweat the small stuff. (2) It’s all small stuff.
7. Use the five-year rule.
Ask yourself: “Five years from now, how important will this problem be?” Nine out of 10, the answer is “Not very important.” The five-year rule can keep you from blowing the situation out of proportion.
8. Talk to someone.
Don’t bottle up your problems. Go to someone you trust and get it off your chest. Sometimes just verbalizing the problem can help you see it in a different light. If things get bad enough, consider setting up an appointment with a counsellor.
9. Make your escape.
Taking a break can do wonders for your frame of mind. Your escape doesn’t have to be as elaborate as a vacation; a shopping trip, movie, or walk in the park can do the trick.
10. Let it out.
Release your frustration in a productive way; a hard sporting game, or going for a run, working out, get yourself moving. It can help ease the tension.
11. Forget about it.
Sometimes you’ve got to say, “This isn’t important enough to give my time to” and move on from whatever has got you down.
12. Do something nice.
If you find that you are thinking about your own worries too much, focus on someone else who’s dealing with a tough situation. You’ll get a good feeling from doing something nice for him or her, and you’ll forget about your own troubles.
13. Do one thing at a time.
If your workload seems overwhelming, don’t get discouraged. Take the most important task that’s haunting you, and start on it. Accomplishing even one of your “to do’s” can make you feel like you’re back in control.
14. Give yourself a break.
Some people create stress by setting standards that are too high to reach. Don’t try to be perfect – sometimes you’ll have to be satisfied with “good enough.”
