Stress Management Options:

Journaling:
1. Write about your thoughts/feelings- Prompts (pick a few to help guide your
journaling) What are you feeling right now? Why do you think you are feeling that
way? If you need to, what are some things you can do to change your mood?
2. Gratitude journal- Write 2-3 things that you are grateful for, that made you smile,
or that brightened your day. Then write 1-3 things that you are proud of today.

Meditation:
1. Guided Meditation: Here is an example, you can also find your own on YouTube,
google, or podcast platforms. https://youtu.be/ZToicYcHIOU
2. Guided imagery: this is a specific type of guided meditation that helps build
images when meditating to help maintain focus. Here is an example, you can
also find your own on YouTube, google, or podcast platforms:
https://youtu.be/vjKltKKSur8
3. Meditation: if you have other ways of meditating or taking time to be quiet and
mindful, do that.

Breathing:
1. Heartbeat counting deep breathing: Find your heartbeat. Don’t worry about how
fast or slow it is, just notice it. Now become aware of your breathing, in and out.
Count how many heartbeats happen between times you inhale. There is no right
or wrong answer, just notice how many times your heart beats from when you
breathe in, to when you breathe out and start your next breath in. As you get
used to this, keep track of the number of heart beats and try to have one more
beat before the next time you breathe in. To help this, after breathing in, hold
your breath for a few beats before starting to breathe out. Do this for several
rounds and think about how many heart beats you have between inhales now,
compared to when you started. After doing several more breaths in, you can stop
counting heart beats, but keep breathing in and out deeply. After a few more
breaths, return to your normal breathing.
2. Verbal guided breathing: Here is an example, you can also find your own on
YouTube, google, or podcast platforms https://youtu.be/awc8MLSpjlQ
3. Visual guided breathing: follow along to a gif with your breathing. Here are some
examples, you can also find your own https://www.doyou.com/10-awesome-gifs-
for-calm-breathing-59450/
4. Other forms of deep breathing: there are lots of ways to breathe, like in for 4-6
counts, hold for 4-6 counts, out for 4-6 counts, and hold again for 4-6 counts. If
you have other ways you have heard of to focus your breathing, try that!

Music:
1. Listen to a few of your favorite songs.
2. Listen to a few songs from genres you’ve always wanted to try.
3. Listen to some music that is relaxing for you.
Laughing:
1. Find and watch some Try Not To Laugh Videos.
2. Watch an episode of your favorite TV show.
3. Watch something else that is funny/you enjoy from YouTube.
4. Listen to an episode of your favorite Podcast.

Walk:
1. Take a short walk, try to get outside if you can.
2. Take a walk around where you are doing class.

Tend to plants/animals:
1. Walk your pet if you have one and it can be walked.
2. Help take care of plants/a garden around where you are.
3. Help take care of animals around where you are.

Yoga:
1. Yoga videos: there are tons of yoga videos that you can follow along to, here is
one example https://youtu.be/BbWmmvPMSGI
2. Written yoga routine: if you don’t like following along to videos, follow along to
these exercises at your own pace https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-
exercise/morning-yoga-routine#beginner-routine
3. Make your own yoga routine! Take some yoga poses and build your own 10-20
minute routine.

Exercise:
1. HIIT workouts: there are tons of online HIIT workouts, here is one example if you
need help finding one https://youtu.be/yv2XE_Ut3KU
2. Fitness circuit: create your own fitness circuit by picking 5-8 exercises and doing
30 seconds of each for a total of 10 minutes. Here is an example workout like this
https://www.verywellfit.com/10-minute-body-weight-circuit-workout-1231502
3. Other fitness videos: there are tons of workout videos on the internet with a
variety of different styles like workouts, dance, etc. This is one of my favorites,
cardio kickboxing- https://youtu.be/xSUXMwqZ3z0 (This one is technically 30
minutes. You can do all 30 mins or any 10-20 min chunk of it)
4. Any other kind of fitness: work on some skills of your favorite sport