At some point in life, we all are faced with stressful situations. Whether these stressors effect us for minutes, hours, days or years is up to us. And, with these tips you can make a better choice of how long you will let if affect your day-to-day.

Ready to Be Worry Free

1. It’s a fact that we need other people, family members, friends, you name it. But, limiting your exposure to those who make you feel anxious can help reduce some of your stress, so consider spending less amounts of time with them.

How do I know if I am anxious? You may feel anxious if upon speaking to an individual, you feel an immediate need to make a change or you will be stuck in the same situation. You also may feel anxious if this person continues to hammer you with questions and places what-if scenarios in your path. To handle this, you can do one of two things: either eliminate conversations with the person altogether or take it upon yourself to set healthy boundaries; this may include designating certain topics as off-limits.

2. Research shows that journaling can be very therapeutic. For instance, those who suffer from symptoms related to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), can see the benefits of journaling through the reduction of their nightmares and flashbacks.

What else? It can help them slowly re-connect to activities and places that they would otherwise steer clear of. Though you may have considered journaling in the past, the benefits of it can last forever. If you are not sure about how to start your journal, journal for a week straight and every time you feel a little anxious, simply jot down your thoughts and why you feel this way. From this, you can expect to gain clarity and learn exactly what triggered your anxiety in the first place, shortly after, you should see a pattern unfold, that leads to the explanation as to why you feel the way you do. Best of all you don’t have to make an appointment with your therapist to discuss your feelings and you will have an account of how you once felt, should similar feelings resurface in the future.

3. We postpone a lot of things in life, so why not postpone our worrying, too? It’s quite easy to do: If an anxious thought or worry pops into your mind, make a brief note of it and postpone it to a later time. You may rehash your worry later and you may not. This little mind trick is sure to buy you some time, so you can stay free and clear from worrying for the time being.

Nothing Lasts Forever

We can all live without stress and anxiety. But, you can use stress to your advantage and let it motivate you to make the changes in your life you are seeking to make.

Web Links:

– http://www.helpguide.org/mental/anxiety_self_help.htm;

– http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/in-therapy/201101/journaling-in-therapy;

– http://www.mytherapyjournal.com/whyjournal/;

– http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/index.shtml?utm_campaign=Social+%2BMedia&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Main%2BTwitter%2BFeed.

-Kimberly Williams