This tip sheet is reproduced from the American Psychological Association. For more information and links to the original tip sheet, please visit:http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/stress-tips.aspx

In today's fast-paced and ever-connected world, stress has become a fact of life. Stress can cause people to feel overwhelmed or pushed to the limit. The American Psychological Association's 2018 "Stress in America" poll found nearly two-thirds of adults (64 percent) reported being stressed about money and work. This year a newly-added question that asked about other sources of stress showed that for adults who make up Generation Z, more than three in 10 cited significant sources of stress in their personal debt (33 percent) and housing instability (31 percent). Three in 10 (28 percent) cited hunger or getting enough to eat. Another important survey finding was that nearly one-quarter (24 percent) of adults identified discrimination as a significant source of stress, the highest percentage since this survey element was first included in 2015. In 2018, black adults (46 percent) and Hispanic adults (36 percent) reported discrimination as a significant source of their stress, as compared with 14 percent of white adults. While low to moderate levels of stress can be good for you when managed in healthy ways, extreme stress takes both an emotional and physical toll on the individual.

With the consequences of poorly managed stress ranging from fatigue to heart disease and obesity, it is important to know how to recognize high stress levels and take action to handle it in healthy ways. Being able to control stress is a learned behavior, and stress can be effectively managed by taking small steps toward changing unhealthy behaviors.

APA offers the following tips on how to manage your stress:

• Understand how you experience stress.每个人对压力的体验不同。你怎么u know when you are stressed? How are your thoughts or behaviors different from times when you do not feel stressed?
• Identify your sources of stress.What events or situations trigger stressful feelings? Are they related to your children, family, health, financial decisions, work, relationships or something else?
• Learn your own stress signals.People experience stress in different ways. You may have a hard time concentrating or making decisions, feel angry, irritable or out of control, or experience headaches, muscle tension or a lack of energy. Gauge your stress signals.
• Recognize how you deal with stress.Determine if you are using unhealthy behaviors (such as smoking, drinking alcohol and over or under eating) to cope. Is this a routine behavior, or is it specific to certain events or situations? Do you make unhealthy choices as a result of feeling rushed and overwhelmed?
• Find healthy ways to manage stress.Consider healthy, stress-reducing activities such as meditation, exercising or talking things out with friends or family. Keep in mind that unhealthy behaviors develop over time and can be difficult to change. Don't take on too much at once. Focus on changing only one behavior at a time.
• Take care of yourself.Eat right, get enough sleep, drink plenty of water and engage in regular physical activity. Ensure that you have a healthy mind and body through activities like yoga, taking a short walk, going to the gym, or playing sports that will enhance both your physical and mental health. Take regular vacations or other breaks from work. No matter how hectic life gets, make time for yourself — even if it's just to do simple things like reading a good book or listening to your favorite music.
• Reach out for support.Accepting help from supportive friends and family can improve your ability to manage stress. If you continue to feel overwhelmed by stress, you may want to talk to a psychologist, who can help you better manage stress and change unhealthy behaviors.

Click here for tips on managing your workplace stress: http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/work-stress.aspx

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