In carrying out a coping plan, remember to live in the present, accept the stress in your life, learn from your failures, and keep in fighting shape with exercise and diet. Above all, remember that positive actions are more powerful than positive thoughts, so structure your plan around positive actions.
Here are some examples from Dr. Carlea Dries:
Stop apologizing to yourself or others for being emotional in certain situations.
Channel your stress into productive activities like volunteering, joining a gym, taking a surprise family outing, having lunch with friends, or other enjoyable things.
Keep a record of when you feel stressed and what you are doing at the time. Don’t focus on the stress you feel, but on positive actions you can take to confront your problem.
Schedule stressful events at times when you expect relatively few demands on you.
Devote high-quality time to important aspects of your life, such as marriage, career, friendships, and family.
In confrontational situations, take slow, deep, steady breaths and concentrate on making calm but assertive comments.
Monitor and modify your negative, self-defeating thoughts.
That last item is important. People often ask, “How do I control my thoughts? How do I stop thinking negative things, self-critical thoughts; how do I handle all those ideas that are downers and torment me?” How about this answer: Perform positive, constructive actions that bring you a sense of satisfaction and empowerment. Then you can think about those actions during the day. Not only will you be teaching yourself to think positively, but you will also get a sense of fulfillment, peace, and competence. You’ll feel good about yourself, with the added benefit of being less stressed out as negative thoughts recede into the background.
Psychology and Stress 