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4. Float Your Stress Away

Float Your Stress Away

Take Care of Your Body

• Get 8-9 hours of sleep on a regular schedule
• Maintain a properly balanced diet
• Avoid or reduce alcohol and caffeine intake
• Aerobic exercise for 20-30 min, at least 3 times week
• Massage, sauna, or relaxing bath
• Get a medical checkup

Take Care with your Communication

• Reflect before expressing anger
• Avoid building up resentment
• Be direct instead of using jokes or sarcasm
• Use “I” statements
• Be assertive without being aggressive or passive
• Listen, do not interrupt

Take Care with your Time

• Set goals and prioritize (life priorities, not just academics and work)
• Overcome procrastination
• Delegate responsibility
• Avoid polyphasic activity
• Do not overextend yourself; pace yourself
• Be realistic about deadlines and what you can accomplish

Allow Others to Take Care of You

• You help others; why not let others help you?
• Spend time with kind and respectful friends and significant others
• Don’t bottle up tension
• Talk to a supportive friend, clergy, or counselor
• Prayer and spiritual support

Take Care with Systematic Relaxation

• Deep diaphragmatic breathing
• Progressive muscle relaxation
• Autogenic Training
• Guided Imagery
• Meditation, Yoga, Tai Chi

Take Care with Cognitive Restructuring

• Challenge dysfunctional thinking
• Let go of perfectionism
• Reexamine excessive guilt, self-blame
• Confront your fear of failure or fear of success
• Recognize and accept personal limits
• Your self worth isn’t based on your achievements
• Counselors can teach cognitive restructuring