101 Ways to Cope with Stress

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- Simplify meal times
- Set priorities in life
- Dance
- Do it today
- Use time wisely
- Look at challenges differently
- Be aware of the decisions you make
- Find support from others
- Memorize a joke
- Unclutter your life
- Smile
- Plant a tree
- Read a poem
- Go to a ball game and scream
- Learn to whistle a tune
- Say "no" more often
- Play in the rain
- Read a story while curled up in bed
- Go on a picnic
- Take stock of your achievements
- Work at being cheerful and optimistic
- Put on your favorite clothes
- Feed the birds
- Strive for excellence NOT perfection
- Look for the silver lining
- Schedule play time into every day
- Get to work or class early
- Have a support network of people, place, and things
- Practice preventive maintenance
- Share a meal with a friend
- Look up at the stars
- Prepare for the morning the night before
- Quit trying to "fix" other people
- Say hello to a stranger
- Schedule appointments ahead
- Recognize the importance of unconditional love
- Stand up and stretch
- Stop a bad habit
- Clean out one closet
- Put safety first
- Ask a friend for a hug
- Repair anything that doesn't work
- Believe in yourself
- Look at a work of art
- Practice grace under pressure
- Stop saying negative things to yourself
- Ask for help with the jobs you dislike
- Always make copies of important papers
- Know your limitations, and let others know them too
- Learn the words to a new song
- Throw a paper airplane
- Listen to a symphony
- Stretch your limits a little each day
- Watch a movie and eat popcorn
- Fly a kite
- Name three things you like about yourself
- Pet a friendly dog or cat
- Get enough sleep
- Remember that stress is an attitude
- Avoid relying on chemical aids
- Leave work early (with permission)
- Buy yourself flowers
- Watch a ballet
- Put air freshener in your car
- Avoid negative people
- Visualize yourself winning
- Learn to meet your own needs
- Keep a journal
- Don't rely on your memory-write it down
- Take a bubble bath
- Make a duplicate set of keys (for those "I've lost my keys" moments)
- Ask someone to be your "vent-partner"
- Have goals for yourself
- Practice a monster smile
- Cook a meal and eat it by candlelight
- Exercise everyday
- Get up 15 minutes earlier
- Read or watch something funny
- Break large tasks into bite-size ones
- Become a better listener
- Anticipate your needs
- Say something nice to someone
- Have a plan "B"
- Remember you always have options
- Hum your favorite tune
- Freely praise other people
- Do something new today
- Take a different route to work or school or home
- Be responsible for your feelings
- Don't know all the answers
- Tell someone to have a good day
- Meditate or pray
- Feel the sun on your face
- Color, draw, or doodle
- Do a puzzle
- Make healthy snacks for tomorrow
- Go to a yoga class
- Contact an old friend
- Take a five-minute break
- Express gratitude
- Breathe
BONUS: Relax, take each day at a time...you have the rest of your life to live
-Adapted from Tripler Army Medical Center 101 Ways to Cope with Stress