As if we weren’t stressed enough before the pandemic, now it’s doubly worse and people find themselves more anxious and more stressed out. So how do we go about managing it in a healthier way?
In the past, I’ve spoken about common stress management techniques but other psychologists have their own techniques so let’s share some here today that might be helpful at a time like this.
So the 4 Rs are Reject, Reframe, Relieve and Refresh.
Reject: The first thing we can do when trying to reduce and manage stress is to try to eliminate stressors. You can start by making a list of the 10 things that are currently stressing you out and then seeing how you can get rid of as many as you can. For example, you might be stressed out by your job, your husband, the pandemic, the election, and your hectic morning routine. You might not want to quit your job and leave your husband, but you could certainly watch less news, put your phone away, and have your husband help out more each morning.
Rejecting stressors may not be humorous, but it’s a vital first step in stress management and trust me, eliminating stressful activities can be fun. You can even create a “To Don’t” list of all the things you’ll stop doing.
Reframe: Humor starts to come into play when we start reframing our stressors. You probably can’t reject everything that causes you stress. You are an adult and there are certain things you have to do. That’s when you can try to reframe them. This might mean you turn them into a game, make them more fun, or put a positive spin on them—if a positive spin exists at all. If there’s a way to gamify or gain some perspective on what’s stressing you out, do it. You could also make your morning routine more fun by making it a game.
Relieve: After rejecting and reframing stressors, it’s time to relieve stress. Because let’s be honest, some things are legitimately bad. Let them be bad. Just be sure to be intentional about relieving the stress that they cause. This might mean taking a walk, drawing a hot bubble bath, breathing exercises, meditating, or watching ten minutes of funny videos on YouTube.
Refresh: The final R is a little depressing in light of our current pandemic: refresh. We used to be able to take vacations and let our stresses melt away, but an underlying sense of stress is following us everywhere we go now. Did I bring my mask? Am I far enough away from people? Do I have COVID-19? So, instead of travelling, think about how you can take breaks to refresh yourself. Take staycations, travel the world via Google Maps, and find a way to relax in your own home.
Alicia Roopnaraine is a Psychologist. You can send questions or comments to her at aliciaroopnaraine@gmail.com
