Self-Care For Stressful Situations - Desklib

Running Head: SELF-CARE FOR STRESSFUL SITUATIONS 1
Self-Care For Stressful Situations
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SELF-CARE FOR STRESSFUL SITUATIONS 2
Self-Care For Stressful Situations
Introduction
Stress is a real or imagined reaction to people or situations. Normally, when suffering
from stress, we may show symptoms of agony, withdrawal or anxiety (Greene et al., 2017).
Many a times, we may resort to taking different actions to get rid off the stressful feelings.
Common causes of stress include the loss of a loved one, chronic illnesses, a change in financial
obligations and general emotional problems such as depression and low esteem (Greene et al.,
2017). Self-care is defined as the set of activities undertaken to fortify physical, mental and
emotional hygiene (Greene et al., 2017). This reflective essay will detail the self-care activities
that I employ to manage stressful situations as well as discuss how self care activities can
enhance resilience.
Discussion
Below are some of the activities that I use as far as managing stressful situations is concerned.
 Improving My Emotional Hygiene - Just like taking a shower or brushing my teeth in a bid
to my personal health, I also try try to adopt habits which take care of my psychological and
mental health. These habits promote mental resilience by addressing emotional pain and
discarding repetitive pessimistic thoughts (Salazar, 2017).
 Setting Aside Time For Friends or Family - Among the serious threats posed to our
psychological health include loneliness and feeling disconnected (Salazar, 2017).
Consequently, I normally try as much as possible to create time to connect with close friends
and family members. I prefer engaging in face to face conversations. However, when this is
not possible, a phone call or text message may suffice.
 Setting Aside Time For Myself - The same way I make time for friends or family, I also

SELF-CARE FOR STRESSFUL SITUATIONS 3
make time for myself where I can be alone with my personal feelings and thoughts. I will
often use this time to reflect on past events or experiences away from the chaos that
accompany our day to day lives. In most cases, you’ll find me watching a movie or reading a
sci-fi themed novel. This is not being selfish. By contrast, I seek to find peace for myself.
 Eating Healthy Foods - Eating foods that are rich in nutrients keeps the body in optimum
condition and positively affects one’s mood(Scott, 2017). I try to improve my wellness by
eating lots of fruits and vegetables and proteins. Also, I try to stay away from processed
foods which ideally come with lots of sugar and fats but most of all, I don’t take alcohol as
research shows that it triggers anxiety (Scott, 2017).
 Getting Enough Sleep - According to Doctors, one should get an average of seven to nine
hours of sleep everyday to ensure that the body performs optimally as we embark on our
daily activities (Seaward, 2017). Sleeping less hours due to stress may lead to severe health-
related complications (Wang et al., 2014). To ensure that I get enough sleep, a set a bedtime
which I stick to every night. Normally, I’ll turn off my laptop one hour before I go to bed to
prepare my body well for sleep. Also, doing some stretching, taking a shower and listening
to some smooth music puts my body in a restful state.
 Maintaining a Spiritual Habit - According to research, incorporating religion or
spirituality in our daily lives makes for a healthier lifestyle (Southwick & Charney, 2017).
Personally, I use prayer to try to alleviate myself from stressful situations and attain positive
emotional health. I believe that prayer plays a vital role in enhancing my spiritual side.
Nonetheless, the ideal spiritual habit or practice boils down to one’s personal choice, what
matters is that in the end, your soul should be nurtured (Southwick & Charney, 2017).
 Establishing My Priorities - Whenever I find myself with a multitude of commitments and