Help Claudia with her Stressors

Now that you have an idea of what stress is and how to cope with it, help Claudia to deal with their stressful situations. Use the step by step approach on the Coping with Stress Link to identify the causes of her stressors.

Lets Help Claudia Together

She has too many responsibilities (i.e. taking care of her siblings, cooking, cleaning, volleyball practice, part time job, homework) and no free time to herself.

She is worried about staying on the honor roll because she has too many responsibilities and may not have enough time to study.

Claudia needs to make a list of her priorities. She has numerous responsibilities and she may have to consider dropping some in order to have more time to rest and to study.

She could talk to her parents and let them know how she is feeling about all her responsibilities. Perhaps, together all of them can figure out a way to share the load of responsibilities.

Could Claudia’s siblings help her cook dinner or clean up? This would make things easier for Claudia and give her extra time to study.

Could everyone work on their homework at the same time and create a quiet and studios atmosphere? Could each of the siblings help each other with their homework? If they have any problems they can’t figure out, they can ask Claudia or their parents.

Perhaps Claudia could set some time every day just to relax. How about on the weekends after she gets back from work? Every weekend she could set time aside to chill out, be with her friends or do an activity she enjoys.

3. Try one of the Options: Which of the suggestions above should Claudia try?

This week she will make a list of priorities. She is going to write down all of her activities and see how much time she spends on each activity. If necessary she is going to drop some activities or spend less time on one so she can study more.

She is going to talk to her parents. She is going to let them know how she is feeling about all of her work. She will let them know of her priorities and will work with them to figure out a way she can complete her priorities.

She is going to relax this weekend. After she gets back from work she will do a fun activity such as going to the movies or to the mall.

Did you notice the type of action phrases that were used in the list above. "She will make...", "...is going to talk..." and "...will relax...". There are no "maybe", "I’ll try to" or "If I get a chance" phrases.  Remember to be firm about your decisions and options. If you choose to use an option, stick with it. You’ll never be able to solve a problem or alleviate it if you don’t stick with a plan of action.

Do you have a stressor in your life now?  Do you feel overwhelmed and feel like you need to organize yourself?  What are you waiting for? Start today and identify your stressors! Use the step by step approach to see if you can come up with a solution. Remember to contact a counselor or doctor for more information about stress especially if you are unable to deal with it in a healthy way.