Mrs. Amie Crain District School Social Worker/Anti-Bullying Specialist for Main Road School
Can you believe it's February already?This month I wanted to share "Daily Ways to Keep Stress at Bay" taken from Trevor Romain and Elizabeth Verdick's book "Stress Can Really Get on Your Nerves!"
1) Be active. Exercise does more than build your body-it also lifts your spirits and helps you feel more relaxed. When you're active, you become stronger in your body and your mind. And that means you've got more power over stress.
2) Eat right. Eating food that's good for your body helps you stay healthy-and a healthy body is a better stress-fighter. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy products, and lean meats.
3) Avoid caffeine. This chemical-found mainly in drinks like soda, coffee, and tea-can make you feel edgy and tense. (It's like you ingest some stress!)
4) Get enough sleep each night. It's hard to deal with stress if you're feeling tired and run down. During a good night's sleep, your mind and body recharge. This means you're sharper and stronger when you wake up.
5) Express your feelings. Are you angry, sad, frustrated, jealous, hurt, or upset? Talk to someone or write about it. Locking up your feelings can add to your stress.
6) Laugh it up. Experts say laughter reduces stress. So memorize some jokes, read the funnies, or see a comedy. Giggling is good for you!
7) Be neat. Do you have trouble remembering where you put your stuff? Kids' rooms are famous for swallowing things like trading cards, party invitations, homework, secret notes-even the occasional peanut butter sandwich. Losing stuff can stress you out. Keeping your room clean and organized helps a lot.
8) Be a planner. Feeling overwhelmed? Like you're behind in everything? Time for some planning. Get a calendar and write down your projects, test dates, and other important stuff. Now make a homework and study schedule you can follow. A little advance planning will help you feel more in control of your days.
9) Talk about your problems. Who's a caring and trusted listener-your mom, your dad, your teacher, your best friend? Talk to that person. Share your problems. You'll feel better if you do.
10) Forgive your own mistakes. Are you really hard on yourself every time you make a mistake? Beating yourself up over errors never helps. Instead, tell yourself that mistakes are learning experiences.
11) Be yourself. Trying to be someone you're not just to keep up with the "cool" people can cause a lot of stress. Is there a better way? Sure! Simply being you-and being happy with your own style of cool.
12) Feel good about what you have. Wanting expensive clothes and other stuff you can't afford can leave you feeling like you never have enough. Instead of thinking about everything you want, take a moment to think about everything you already have. Make a list of what you're grateful for. You may quickly see that some of the best things in life don't cost money: a loving family, people who care about you, a dog licking your face, or a sunny day.
Please contact me with any questions or concerns at (856) 629-9500, ext. 3 or e-mail me at the link below.
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