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The Key
The key is not to try to avoid stress altogether, but to recognize and manage the stress in our lives in such a way that we avoid the negative consequences of stress!
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After attending stress management workshops, many people stress about the amount of stress in their lives. One thing is for sure, you will not be able to eliminate all of the stress in your life, at least not while you are still alive. Accept the fact that there will be a certain level of stress in your life and work to manage it in a way that you avoid or minimize the negative consequences of the stress, and prevent it when you can.
Resilience involves maintaining flexibility and balance in your life as you deal with stressful circumstances and traumatic events.
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Resilience involves maintaining flexibility and balance in your life as you deal with stressful circumstances and traumatic events.
- Letting yourself experience strong emotions, and also realizing when you may need to avoid experiencing them at times in order to continue functioning
- Stepping forward to take action, and also stepping back to rest
- Spending time with others to gain support and encouragement, and also nurturing yourself
- Relying on others, and also relying on yourself
Strategies for Building Resilience
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Make connections
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Avoid seeing crises as insurmountable problems
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Accept that change and challenge are part of living
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Move toward your goals
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Take decisive actions
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Look for opportunities for self-discovery
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Maintain hope and a positive view of yourself
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Keep things in perspective
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Take care of yourself
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Postpone/delay tasks that could increase stress
The key is to identify ways that are likely to work well for you as part of your own personal strategy for fostering resilience.
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- Avoid seeing crises as insurmountable problems. (You can change how you interpret and respond to stressful events)
- Accept that change is a part of living. (Serenity prayer)
- Move toward your goals. (Do something regularly, even if it seems small, that enables you to more toward your goals)
- Take decisive actions. (Rather than detaching completely and wishing problems and stresses would go away)
- Look for opportunities for self-discovery. (People often grow in some respect as a result of their struggle with loss)
- Maintain hope and a positive view of yourself. (Expect that good things will happen in your life; develop confidence in your ability to solve problems; trust your instincts)
- Keep things in perspective. (Keep a long-term perspective; avoid blowing things out of proportion)
- Take care of yourself. (Pay attention to your own needs and feelings. Engage in activities you enjoy and find relaxing)
- Be selective in starting projects that might increase stress (building a new house, establishing satellite clinic). Don't over-extend.
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Last Published: 6/4/2009 Print this page
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