sugary or caffeinated drinks. Drink plenty of water and don’t forget to eat fruits and
vegetables.
v Exercise. If your doctor approves, make time for daily exercise. Exercise is known to
improve your mood and alleviate stress. Feeling stressed? Try taking a walk or riding
your bike. This will help your body process the stress and make your mind better
equipped to handle it.
v Take control of your negative inner voice. All of us have conversations with
ourselves throughout the day. If you notice that your inner voice is telling you a
negative story, notice that and shift that conversation to something positive.
v Set your priorities. Be realistic about what you can accomplish in a day. Make sure
you set aside plenty of time to complete everything that NEEDS to be done. Don’t
add more to your plate until you are sure you can handle what is already there. It is
important to build in time for fun and relaxing activities.
v Write, paint or play some music. Artistic expression is a great way to relieve stress.
Focusing your mind on an art project is a great way to shift your thinking away from
stress and onto something productive and energizing. Writing about your stress is
another great strategy for relieving it.
v Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you are feeling overwhelmed, look for a family
member, friend, counselor or teacher to assist you. Sometimes just talking about your
stress can help lighten it. Likewise, be there as a helping hand to others. Serving
others can put your own problems into perspective and alleviate feelings of stress.
v Look for the positives. It is easy to get into the habit of seeing everything that is
wrong in your world. Each day take note of everything for which you can be thankful.
Focusing on these positives will help activate feelings of calm and peace within you.
v Breathe. Focusing on the breath is a great way to shift your awareness to the present
moment. With practice, this can be one of the most effective ways to reduce stress
and increase the relaxation response. If you have only a few moments, just take three
deep, mindful breaths. Doing this throughout the day can help you manage your stress
level.
Activity: Using our response signals, let’s see what makes us stressed out. Show the
green side if the item does NOT make you feel stress. Use the red side if it does.
v
v
v
v
v
v
Homework
My brother or sister
My friends
Chores
Watching sports
Playing video games
PROTEAM DREAMQUEST CURRICULUM
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