Mental Health Awareness: Four Ways to Cope with Stress and Anxiety

Living with depression or anxiety isn’t easy. There are days you don’t have the energy to get out of bed. There are days when sleep just doesn’t come, and others when it’s all you can do. And there are days when you have to pretend to be fine and smile, even though you’re crumbling on the inside.

While everyone copes with depression, anxiety, and stress differently, here are a couple of steps you can take to make your day better:

Practice Positive Self-Talk

It’s easier said than done and it will be difficult to do for the first few days. But hang on and give yourself the break you deserve. Try to make it a habit to talk to yourself in a positive way.

Whenever you feel a negative thought coming, pause and think, “This is not who I am. I am capable of love. I am worthy and I’m a great person.”

Remind yourself that you are not stupid or worthless—negate every negative belief your mind is trying to convince you of. Remind yourself that it’s okay to make mistakes and that you’re doing your best given your tough situation.

Take a Deep Breath

I understand that breathing techniques and exercises don’t work for everyone. But there’s no harm in trying. The next time you feel an anxiety attack coming up, take a deep breath, wait for three seconds, and then breathe out.

You’ll feel your muscles relax and it’ll feel as if a burden has been lifted off your shoulders.

Count to Ten

When you’re stressed or angry, start counting to ten. This will give you enough time to think before making a decision. Don’t make hasty decisions and don’t react. You need to respond.

Count to ten and think about how you can best deal with the situation.

Buy a Journal

When you feel stressed and angry, jot down your thoughts in a journal. Writing down how you’re feeling and why you’re feeling a certain way will give you clarity.

You’ll identify the root cause of why you’re feeling upset. A journal is your private space where you can express yourself freely, without the fear of being judged.

Ashley Yeo 

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