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How Can I Deal With Distress in a Healthy Way?

woman struggles with effects of distress

There are two different types of stress: eustress and distress. Eustress is good stress that helps motivate you to complete tasks because it increases your productivity when handled correctly. Distress, on the other hand, is negative stress. Negative stress can be harmful because it is not handled correctly, which impacts your productivity and brings negative impacts to your brain and body. Too much distress can be dangerous. Fortunately, there are healthy ways that you can deal with distress. Coping skills are important to learn to help battle the stress you feel on a daily basis. Below are some ways to deal with distress in a healthy way.

How Can I Deal With Distress in a Healthy Way?

Psychology Now’s Laura Mears reports that there are ways you can deal with distress in a healthy way. Here are some of her tips:

  • Believe in your body: Believing in yourself is powerful! A self-fulfilling prophecy is when what you believe comes true. This is the case with stress. If you are constantly obsessing over your stress in a negative way, it will impact your body negatively. If you attack the stress in a positive way, you’ll be able to deal with it healthily. Try to keep a positive mindset always. This is important.
  • Exercise: Exercise is a great way to keep us both physically and mentally healthy. Exercise can also help reduce the negative stress we feel. Endorphins are released during exercise that help boost your mood. Exercising also gives your negative energy a place to go, instead of bottling it up and letting it grow over time.
  • Help others: Helping others is a great way to focus your energy on the world around you. It also gives you a sense of purpose and, again, gives your negative energy a place to go. Helping others helps us, too!
  • Keep a stress diary: Keeping a diary about what you are stressing about is a good way to visually see what is bringing you the most stress. Write down everything you’re feeling. Notice what you are writing down that’s the same every day. This can help you identify it so that you can eliminate it.
  • Make a plan: Avoiding all stress is impossible. This is why it’s a good idea to make a stress plan. Realize that you cannot change everything about the world around you, so planning for stress is important. Put down your thoughts and feelings into your stress diary and create a meaningful plan that includes goals. You’ve got this!
  • Take care of yourself: Addictions can trigger stress. Take care of yourself during the tough times in your recovery. Distraction is key during these times. You’ll want to stay away from the things that trigger you to use. Keep your stress diary close during these times.
  • Talk: If you’re under a lot of distress, reach out to someone you trust. This can help you feel less overwhelmed and get things off your chest.
  • Try mindfulness: Another great tool is mindfulness. Mindfulness helps keep you in the present moment. This helps you deal with the stress you’re feeling.

Arbor Behavioral Healthcare is here to help keep you safe during intense moments of stress. If you are feeling an overwhelming amount of negative stress, reach out to us at (844) 413-2690. We can’t wait to speak with you and help you today.