Counselor’s Overview
101 WAYS TO COPE WITH STRESS
GOALS OF THE EXERCISE 1. 2. 3. 4. Recognize the availability of many strategies to cope with anxiety. Verbalize confidence in the ability to reduce personal anxiety. Implement coping strategies to reduce symptoms of stress. Recognize personal behavior that contributes to stress.
ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS FOR WHICH THIS EXERCISE MAY BE MOST USEFUL • • • • Anger Management/Aggression Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Substance Abuse Suicide Ideation Attempt
SUGGESTIONS FOR USING THIS EXERCISE WITH STUDENT(S) The “101 Ways to Cope with Stress” activity can be used to help students evaluate stress and anxiety from several different perspectives. Often, an elevated level of anxiety is coupled with the perception that no viable solution for stress reduction exists. This list offers the student numerous options for reducing anxiety. Read the entire list with the student. Ask him/her to circle any strategies he/she has tried and found useful. Stop to discuss or explain any strategies that are unclear to the student or perceived as unworkable. Ask the student if any of the coping strategies suggest behavior that is counterproductive to stress busting (e.g., number 37 of the list might suggest that taking life too seriously contributes
Counselor’s Overview
to anxiety; number 4 might suggest that substance abuse is counterproductive). Instruct the student to highlight all strategies that point to a personal behavior contributing to his/her stress level. Discuss with the student how different coping strategies from the list might alter his/her level of stress or anxiety. Ask him/her to pick two or three that might work to reduce the level of stress and choose one to implement between counseling sessions. Explore with the student the specifics of how and when to use the strategy and brainstorm its potential results. Review the outcome at the next session and elicit an agreement to either continue with the strategy or choose another from the list.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE STUDENT
Read over the “101 Ways to Cope with Stress” list and circle all the strategies that you already use to cope with stress. Ask for an explanation of any of the ideas that are unclear or that you think may not work to reduce your level of stress. Determine which strategies are most helpful to you and choose one or two to use more frequently as stress reducers during the following week. Discuss with your counselor or group members why you have chosen these particular actions to reduce your level of stress. During the next counseling session, report to your counselor or group how the interventions you picked affected your level of stress during the week. Choose two additional strategies that you want to add to your stress reduction program. Continue to try different strategies during the weeks ahead and review the effects of each action during your next counseling session. After several weeks of trying different methods of reducing your personal level of stress and anxiety, create your own top 10 list of effective stress reducers. Write this list in a personal journal and review and modify it occasionally throughout the year.
Exercise III.D
101 WAYS TO COPE WITH STRESS
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26.
Get up earlier Prepare ahead Avoid tight clothes Avoid chemical aids Set appointments Write it down Practice preventive maintenance Make duplicate keys Say “no” more often Set priorities Avoid negative people Use time wisely Simplify meals Copy important papers Anticipate needs Make repairs Get help with jobs you dislike Break down large tasks Look at problems as challenges Look at challenges differently Unclutter your life Smile Prepare for rain Tickle a baby Pet a dog or cat Don’t know all the answers
27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52.
Look for the silver lining Say something nice Teach a kid to fly a kite Walk in the rain Schedule playtime Take a bubble bath Be aware of your decisions Believe in yourself Stop talking negatively Visualize winning Develop a sense of humor Stop thinking tomorrow will be better Have goals Dance a jig Say hello to a stranger Ask a friend for a hug Look at the stars Breathe slowly Whistle a tune Read a poem Listen to a symphony Watch a ballet Read a story Do something new Stop a bad habit Buy a flower
Exercise III.D
53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78.
Smell a flower Find support Find a “vent partner” Do it today Be optimistic Put safety first Do things in moderation Note your appearance Strive for excellence, not perfection Stretch your limits Enjoy art Hum a jingle Maintain your weight Plant a tree Feed the birds Practice grace Stretch Have a plan B Doodle Learn a joke Know your feelings Meet your needs Know your limits Say, “Have a good day,” in pig Latin Throw a paper airplane Exercise
79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99. 100. 101.
Learn a new song Go to work earlier Clean a closet Play with a child Go on a picnic Drive a different route to work Leave work early Put air freshener in your car Watch a movie and eat popcorn Write a faraway friend Scream at a ball game Eat a meal by candlelight Recognize the importance of unconditional love Remember that stress is an attitude Keep a journal Share a monster smile Remember your options Build a support network Quit trying to fix others Get enough sleep Talk less and listen more Praise others Relax, take each day at a time . . . you have the rest of your life to live
(Information provided with permission from Kids-in-Touch, a division of West Michigan Addiction Consultants, PC. Phone: 616-365-8830; e-mail: www.wemac.com/kit.html.)