H.E.L.P. Health Education Learning Promotion. “Reduce harmful distress”

You can help decrease your distress with the following behaviours, techniques, skills and knowledge: -

• Exercise and eat regularly.
• Build a network of friends who can help you in a positive way.
• Develop your skills to state your feelings. (Say how,. Say what, Say why,. Say when,. you feel uncomfortable or distressed. And request the person causing you to be distressed to please stop causing you harm.).
• Learn to enhance your coping skills:- divide a large task into smaller tasks.
• Learn relaxation exercises (breathing and muscle relaxation)
• Learn to feel good about doing a "good enough" job rather than demanding perfection from yourself and others.
• Take a break from stressful situations. Listening to music, talking to a friend, OR drawing, can help to reduce your distress.
• Decrease your negative self talk:- challenge your negative thoughts about yourself with neutral or positive thoughts. "I may feel hopeless now, but I know that my life will get better if I work at it and get some help"
• Avoid excess caffeine intake that can increase your feelings of anxiety and agitation
• Avoid illegal drugs, alcohol and tobacco
• Record TEN things that YOU CAN do to Reduce harmful distress :-

By using these and other techniques, YOU can begin to manage distress.

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