2 What can I do about it?

What can I do about stress?

Focus on the things you can control.

Now that you understand a bit more about what stress is and what it looks and feels like in your body, it’s helpful to learn some strategies to help support you in managing your stress.

There are many things in life that we can’t control.

This means that there isn’t much you can do about these things. For example, you can’t change the weather, or what people say about you. These things are out of your control.

If you spend time and energy trying to change these things, you can begin to feel very stressed.

Instead, focus on the things you can control.

It’s much better to focus your time and energy on the things you can control. Things like how much you exercise or how hard you study for a test.

If you choose to focus on these things instead, it will help you to feel proactive and can boost your overall feelings of wellbeing.

Focusing time and energy on only the things we can control is a great strategy to help reduce stress.

2 What can I do about it?

Learning to let go

But how can I accept those things I wish I could change?

It can be really hard to let go and accept that you can’t control some things.

When we wish things were different but we have no control over them – we can feel upset and annoyed. This is common.

TRY THIS

Saying something caring and kind to yourself like :

‘This is really hard. I am sorry you’re going through this. It’s okay to feel sad and annoyed, you can’t change this so let’s focus on something else’.

Could you do something you enjoy to make you feel better?

Eg : hanging out with a friend, going for a run.

When you’re ready, try focusing on all the things you DO have control over!

Treating ourselves with compassion, like we would a friend, can help us accept the things we can’t control.