Television is a good distraction technique.

Watching your favourite show can help reduce your stress and anxiety by distracting you from your problems. It can also be relaxing, especially if you are lying down.

But watching too much TV, instead of doing other activities or getting outdoors to exercise can increase your anxiety.

We call this the SELF Strategy.

Sometimes we forget how important the basics are for helping us manage stress in our day-to-day lives. Getting enough sleep, doing regular exercise, finding something we enjoy and eating a balanced and healthy diet, all support our mental health and wellbeing.

The SELF Strategy will help you to remember these.

SELF Strategy

As a short-term solution, procrastination can help.

If you start to feel stressed, simply walk away from the task for a few moments to calm yourself and collect your thoughts. Get a drink, take a walk, breathe. This doesn’t mean you should abandon a project or situation because it’s difficult. But stepping away from it for even a few seconds might help you to return to the task with a new perspective and renewed energy.

Procrastination is a common response to feeling overwhelmed or stressed. It’s perfectly normal and in the short-term, may help to reduce stress. Making a plan to help you refocus and get things done can help you avoid procrastination and stress. Try writing down 3 things that you know help you focus.

Spending time with friends can be a great way to reduce stress.

Hanging out with friends and family can improve your mental health and wellbeing and help you feel calm and happy.

It’s important to speak up.

When we keep our problems to ourselves they can start to feel heavy and overwhelming. Speaking about how we feel can give us a sense of relief and calm. It also enables others to support us. Remember that whatever you’re feeling, you’re not alone.

Finding any trusted adult to speak to is a great place to start. A trusted adult is someone you have a good relationship with and has your best interests at heart. For example, it may be a friend’s parent, an Uncle, Aunty, teacher or parent.

Computer games can be fun.

They are an interactive way to spend time and can help you to reduce your stress levels. They can also be social if you’re playing with other people.

But playing games for long periods of time instead of getting outdoors to exercise or do other activities may increase your stress and anxiety. Make sure you keep things balanced.

This all depends on your food choices.

Healthy snacks are okay if they help to cheer you up! Eating processed foods that are high in sugar, fat, salts and additives can have a negative impact on your physical and mental health.

Asking why can feel overwhelming at first. But it will help.

The AAAH Technique is a great way to process your stress.

A – Ask what.

What is making you stressed?

A – Ask why.

Why are you feeling stressed?

A – Act.

What actions can you take to address the problem? Do you have control over this situation? If not, what can you do to make yourself feel better

H – Help.

Sometimes asking for help seems overwhelming. It can take courage and bravery to take the first steps of opening up to someone. Don’t give up. It makes such a difference when there are others around to support you.

1. Acknowledge the challenging or unhelpful thought and remind yourself that thoughts are not facts.
2. Consider the evidence. What is the evidence that supports the thought, and the evidence against it?
3. Challenge the thought by speaking to yourself with compassion. What would you say to a friend who was thinking the same thing?
4. Create a more helpful thought.

TRY THIS

Nature is refreshing and uplifting.

Studies are showing that getting out into nature has many positive effects on mental health. It can reduce levels of stress, anxiety and depression.

Self-care is any activity we deliberately do to look after ourselves and our own wellbeing.

Self-care is what we do when we take care of our needs and refuel ourselves. Regular self-care activities are crucial to our own wellbeing.

It may seem like a simple concept, but it’s easy to overlook self-care when life gets busy. When you forget to take good care of yourself it can have negative effects on your physical, social, emotional and mental health.

Practising self care helps us: