People tend to misunderstand what stress is and are challenged by how to manage it. Simply put stress is something that happens to which you have to adapt. Some examples are temperature changes during the day, driving in traffic or something that interferes with your accomplishing your daily “to do” list. The problem actually isn’t stress. Rather it’s the distress that results when you become overwhelmed and unable to manage or adapt to the stressor.

Instead of only handling the stressors as they occur the best way to keep your stressors manageable is to practice consistent self-care. Some examples are exercise, get enough rest, eat healthy, meditation, yoga and manage your thoughts by having a solution based focus. By setting and maintaining a consistent and positive self-care approach to life you are creating a strong foundation from which to manage the stressors that occur and giving yourself the best chance to prevent situations from adversely affecting your day.