STRESS MANAGEMENT Sometimes you may feel that there is nothing you can do about your stress levels, and life seems to spiral out of control. Stresses related to conflict with partner, family or work colleagues, impossible deadlines, difficult people, or never ending bills or responsibilities converge to make life seem impossible. Some of the coping mechanisms for stress may include over or undereating, using pills or drugs to relax, smoking, procrastinating, lashing out at others, or withdrawing from friends or family. You can learn to manage stress The good news is you can take control. In fact managing stress is all about taking control of your life. • Control of your thoughts, emotions, environment, responses and your health. Once you learn to take control, you can easily work toward a more balanced, healthy and enjoyable life. You can learn to: • Gain control over feelings or reactions • Stay calm and focused • Understand long-term stressors and how to deal with them • Adopt a healthier lifestyle • Achieve a better work/life balance • Cope with unreasonable demands • Conserve your energy and "protect" yourself from problem people • Avoid people who stress you out • Express your feelings instead of bottling them up • Better manage your time • Get more enjoyment from each day • Focus more on the positive REMEMBER: YOU MAY NOT HAVE CONTROL OVER OUTSIDE INFLUENCES, BUT YOU CAN HAVE CONTROL OVER HOW YOU RESPOND | 
