Developing Self-Awareness
with Gemma Roberts
Developing Self-Awareness: Stress Identifier Tip Sheet
Understand How Stress Affects You
How do you know when you’re stressed? How do you feel when you’re stressed?
Identify Your Stress Sources
What events or situations trigger stressful feelings for you?
Learn Your Stress Signals
What happens to you when you’re stressed? Do you experience changes in mood or behavior? Do you
experience physical symptoms?
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Recognize How You Deal with Stress
As a reaction to the feeling of stress, how do you behave? Are these behaviors a useful coping
mechanism?
Quick Tips for Dealing with Stress
1. Get active.
Exercise can help reduce some of the emotional intensity you’re feeling, helping to clear your thoughts,
increase positivity, and enhance your focus.
2. Create a support network.
Connecting with others, whether that be family, friends, or colleagues, can help you to view the situation
in a different way. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with stress, you may want to talk to a psychologist.
3. Take control.
If you’re thinking in a passive way—feeling that you can’t do anything to resolve your problem—you’re
unlikely to be able to reduce your stress levels. Instead, commit to finding a solution, however small, and
taking control to make positive changes in your life.
4. Avoid unhealthy habits and behaviors.
Identify habits and behaviors that aren’t helping you to manage your stress, and commit to tackling and
changing these, one step at a time.
5. Focus on helping others.
A sense of working toward a purpose that’s greater than you, gives you a different perspective and helps
you to think outside of your own problems and issues.
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6. Accept what you can’t change.
There is no point fighting with a situation you have no control over—you’ll only work yourself up and
there’s no solution.
7. Focus on relaxing.
Create a sense of calm, whether that be by using meditation, yoga, exercise, reading, or a hobby.
8. Take care of yourself.
Get clear on what you need to reduce stress. Think about your diet, the amount of time you spend
relaxing and having fun, and who you need around you to help lift your mood.
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