There are three basic ways people cope with stress. Avoid it and act like it doesn’t exist. Suffer through it and hope it’ll be over soon or manage it and move on with your life. For obvious reasons, avoiding the issue does not make it disappear. The longer it remains unaddressed, the worse it can get making it harder on you. If you think “it’ll work itself out,” please consider the cost. You don’t need to suffer unnecessarily when you can manage it and live the life you are meant to live. Here are a few stress-management techniques that require you to think differently and change a few habits.

The cracking can show up as short-tempered, unfocused, and forgetful to constant headaches, insomnia, anxiety, depression, weight loss, and weight gain, just to name a few. You can’t continue to power through life, taking on stress from home, work, and just living life as a Black woman without help or an outlet to reduce stress. Your emotional, mental, and physical health are at stake.

The good news is that you only have average stress right now. Let’s keep it that way by establishing new practices that can help prevent added stress and pressure.

• Ask for help- “Closed mouths don’t get fed,” so speak up and ask for what you need. Yes, maybe you can eventually figure it out on your own or get it down quicker, but at what cost?

• Just say no- If “no” is too harsh, soften it with another phrase, but please do not say yes to something you don’t have the time, strength, or financial means to support. Or prioritize what’s most essential and commit only to what you actually have to give.

Stress-Analysis

Take a minute to stop and think about what in your life is causing stress. This is where journaling comes in handy. Note the situation, who was involved, and how you felt, reacted, and left it. Writing it down allows you to come back and see it from a new perspective. Journaling may not come easy to you, don’t force it. Start with a prompt to get started, and you’ll establish a routine over time. There are digital journals for people who lean into technology. Here is a downloadable digital journal so you can get started today.

Plan Ahead

Planning, prioritizing, and preparing for stressful events that you know are coming require discipline but are worth it to reclaim your life. Believe it or not, some prep work can prevent or reduce stress. If you always feel pressured by running out of time, then a Time-Block Calendar will be your new bestie. It can be intimidating at first, but there is a sense of relief when every minute is planned out, and you can visualize the time set aside for tasks on your to-do list.