Because who doesn't find petting a dog incredibly relaxing?
Right, now that you’re at your desk, count how many times you’ve already felt stressed this morning. Think about accidentally snoozing the alarm so you’re running late, not being able to find your keys, squashing onto public transport or hitting traffic jams, spilling the coffee you buy on the way in, arriving to a mountain of emails…And that’s just the start of the day.
Stress is something we all have to contend with, so any tips on how to deal with it always go down well. Which is why Californian high school student Alina Ramirez’s recent tweet has gone viral.
Alina tweeted a copy of a handout from her psychology teacher, Brett Phillips, who had written 101 ways to cope with stress. Sure, some of the suggestions are a little out there (‘tell someone to have a good day in pig Latin’?…er, no thanks) but the majority of them are actually pretty useful. In fact, there’s definitely a few tips which we could all try and take on board. Scheduling playtime every day, for example, seems like an excellent idea to us.
Want to see the suggestions for yourself? Here is the full list below:
- Get up 15 minutes earlier
- Prepare for the morning the night before
- Avoid tight fitting clothes
- Avoid relying on chemical aids
- Set appointments ahead
- Don’t rely on your memory – write it down
- Practice preventative maintenance
- Make duplicate keys
- Say ‘no’ more often
- Set priorities in your life
- Avoid negative people
- Use time wisely
- Simplify meal times
- Always make copies of important papers
- Anticipate your needs
- Repair anything that doesn’t work properly
- Ask for help with the jobs you dislike
- Break large tasks into bite size portions
- Look at problems as challenges
- Look at challenges differently
- Unclutter your life
- Smile
- Be prepared for rain
- Tickle a baby
- Pet a friendly dog or cat
- Don’t know all the answers
- Look for a silver lining
- Say something nice to someone
- Teach a kid to fly a kite
- Walk in the rain
- Schedule play time into every day
- Take a bubble bath
- Be aware of the decisions you make
- Believe in yourself
- Stop saying negative things to yourself
- Visualize yourself winning
- Develop your sense of humour
- Stop thinking tomorrow will be a better today
- Have goals for yourself
- Dance a jog
- Say ‘hello’ to a stranger
- Ask a friend for a hug
- Look up at the stars
- Practice breathing slowly
- Learn to whistle a tune
- Read a poem
- Listen to a symphony
- Watch a ballet
- Read a story curled up in bed
- Do a brand new thing
- Stop a bad habit
- Buy yourself a flower
- Take time to smell the flowers
- Find support from others
- Ask someone to be your ‘vent-partner’
- Do it today
- Work at being cheerful and optimistic
- Put safety first
- Do everything in moderation
- Pay attention to your appearance
- Strive for excellence NOT perfection
- Stretch you limits a little each day
- Look at a work of art
- Hum a jingle
- Maintain your weight
- Plant a tree
- Feed the birds
- Practise grace under pressure
- Stand up and stretch
- Always have a plan ‘B’
- Learn a new doodle
- Memorize a joke
- Be responsible for your feelings
- Learn to meet your own needs
- Become a better listener
- Know your limitations and let others know them too
- Tell someone to have a good day in pig Latin
- Throw a paper airplane
- Exercise every day
- Learn the words to a new song
- Get to work early
- Clean out one closet
- Play patty cake with a toddler
- Go on a picnic
- Take a different route to work
- Leave work early (with permission)
- Put air freshener in your car
- Watch a movie and eat popcorn
- Write a note to a far away friend
- Go to a ball game and scream
- Cool and meal and eat it by candlelight
- Recognize the importance of unconditional love
- Remember that stress is an attitude
- Keep a journal
- Practice a monster smile
- Remember that you always have options
- Have a support network of people, places and things
- Quit trying to fix other people
- Get enough sleep
- Talk less and listen more
- Freely praise other people
BONUS: Relax, take each day at a time…you have the rest of your life to live
