How Can I Take Care of Myself?

Taking care of yourself starts with recognizing the unhealthy ways you may deal with stress (for example, drinking too much alcohol or eating unhealthy meals). You can then try a healthier approach.

The following recommendations are some of the ways you can reduce the effects of stress on your life:

- Exercise for at least 30 minutes at least 5 times a week. If u r too busy, just do physical activity & exercise during weekend also can lah. Its better than never.

- Do something just for yourself. Getting a new haircut or having a therapeutic massage can do wonders when you're under a lot of stress.

- Recognize the things that upset you and try to develop a positive attitude toward those you cannot avoid.

- Simplify your life. Don't try to do too much. Set goals you can achieve. Learn to say "no."

- Develop methods for relaxation; for example, talk with supportive people, take up a hobby, listen to music, watch movies, take walks.

- Try not to "self-medicate" with food, alcohol, or over-the-counter medicines. Covering up a problem can make the stress even worse. So, dont cover cover eh... ;p

- Learn to use relaxation techniques, such as mental imaging, diaphragmatic breathing, and progressive muscle relaxation.

- Get adequate, regular amounts of rest and sleep (6 to 10 hours a night). We are supposed to use 1/3 of our life for SLEEPING. Believe it or not, this is a fact.

- Eat a healthy diet.

- Drink less coffee and alcohol. 'Less' doesnt mean 'cannot'.

- Use positive thoughts and humor to overcome negative thoughts. Rent a comedy from a video store. Share it with friends and laugh your stressors away. Laughter is always the best medicine.

- Seek professional help for dealing with especially stressful events in your life.

Always remember, there is no body cares whether u r stress or not. If someone ask u 'r u ok?' or 'how r u?', that doesnt mean that they really care about u. Because they r too busy to look after u. So, u r the one who responsible for taking care of ur self. hehe.....