Strategies to Cope when your Distress is Unbearable

[Dgeorge]

How to Cope with High Distress

1: Accept whatever is happening at the moment.

2: Do something to create a new sensation in your body.

3: Pay Attention to Something or Someone Else.

4: Practice Self-Soothing.

5: Problem Solving.


Once you have been able to accept and tolerate the distress. You may now attempt to solve the problem that first caused you distress.

** Identify the problem

** Write down all possible solutions to your problem, then select the best alternatives

** Evaluate the alternatives by making a list of pros/cons
Decide on a plan (or two or more), and how you are going to implement it
Implement the plan

** Evaluate the outcome, revise the plan if necessary, or select a different alternative to implement


These are all techniques that help people to better cope when they are in high distress. We hope you find them helpful. If you try some please feel free to share which ones worked best for you and why.

 

[Alexandoy]

I have an issue with our neighbor that is giving me stress. There is construction going on in the property beside our home. Aside from the noise of the construction work there is also a blaring radio that adds to the unbearable noise. I really get stressed. The owner of the property has no concern for the neighborhood and I dare not complain to the local community government so as not to blow up the issue. Anyway, I am now focusing on the saying that if the situation is beyond your control then what you can do is to accept it so that you can have peace of mind. Now I realize that the more I resist the annoyance, the more I am annoyed. Last week I told myself that the noise can be avoided because when I stay in the living room I cannot hear the noise. However, the noise is loud when I am in the bedroom so I avoid the bedroom. That stance somehow eased the stress and that I feel like I am doing well.