AVOID UNNECESSARY CAUSES OF STRESS.
Your first line of defense against stress should be avoidance. If there is any way to avoid a potentially stressful situation, by all means do so. But you need to keep in mind that no all stress can be avoided, and there are some situations that you must face head on. It is important that you learn how to distinguish between one from the other. Among the most common ways to avoid stress is to:
Stay away from stress-inducing people
Plan things out ahead of time
Reduce the demands on yourself
ALTER THE STRESSFUL SITUATION.
If you can’t avoid a stressful situation then do what you can to alter it. Changing things that are causing you stress can save you from being subjected to a great deal of stress in the future. So when faced with a stressful situation, figure out what you can do or how you can change things to lessen stress. Below are some strategies you can employ to change a stressful situation:
Apply assertive communication
Master effective time management
Learn how to compromise
ADAPT TO THE STRESSOR.
Sometimes the only thing that can be done to manage a stressful situation is to adapt to it. There are certain situations that are unchangeable or out of your control, so instead of continually stressing yourself out over things that you have no control of, it would be best to adjust or modify yourself. Some of the things you can do to deal with stress through adaptation are as follows:
Resist perfectionism
Accentuate the positive
Adjust your attitude
ACCEPT THE UNCHANGEABLE.
Not everything is within your control so you are really bound to come across things which are unavoidable and inevitable like a sudden illness, a calamity or losing something or someone very important. In such cases, the best way to cope with stress is to accept things as they are. Below are some of the things you can do to easily accept a stressful situation:
Talk to supportive family and friends
Try to find the upside