Healthy Ways to

Cope with Stress

CARE FOR YOURSELF ONE

S M A L L WAY E A C H D AY

C D C . G O V / C O R O N AV I R U S
TAKE BREAKS TO RELAX AND UNWIND THROUGH TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY AND GET MOVING
YOGA, MUSIC, GARDENING, OR NEW HOBBIES. TO LESSEN FATIGUE, ANXIETY, OR SADNESS.

3 - 5 : T H R O U G H O U T T H E D AY.
2012 – 25 REPORTED BETTER
6-17: 60 MIN.
OUTCOMES.
A D U LT S : 1 5 0 M I N .
TREAT YOURSELF TO HEALTH FOODS FIND NEW WAYS TO SAFELY CONNECT WITH
AND GET ENOUGH SLEEP. FAMILY, GET SUPPORT, AND SHARE FEELINGS

A D D H E A LT H Y FAT S . C U T T H E S O D I U M .
BUMP UP YOUR FIBER. AND AIM FOR A
VA R I E T Y O F C O L O R S O N Y O U R P L AT E .
TIPS FOR HAVING A
MEANINGFUL
CONVERSATION
• Be flexible about the format.

• Be ready to listen.

• Ask open-ended questions. (How are you

feeling? How’s it going for you these
days? How are you keeping in touch with
family or friends?)
• Show your concern and support.

• End on a positive note.

Common Unhelpful How You May
Thoughts Feel Alternate Helpful Thoughts How You'll Feel
•The world is a dangerous •scared •The world can be dangerous, but there are •hopeful
place. •worried things I can do to enhance safety. •open to a better future
•not trusting •Change is the only guarantee in life. •trusting that people will help
Sometimes, when things go wrong, the only •calmer
thing we can control is our reactions.
•Most of the time I'm safe.
•I can't trust anyone •lonely •Trusting people is why I'm getting help. •more trusting
•withdrawn •I can choose some people to trust. •less suspicious
•suspicious •hopeful
•sad •optimistic
•I'm not safe •worried •Feeling unsafe isn't the same as being •more relaxed
•scared unsafe. •confident
•insecure •Something bad happened, but it doesn't •capable
mean it'll last forever, or happen again. •more secure
•Other people deal with this •worthless •Most people react this way for a while. •reassured
better than I do, so what's •My reaction shows the challenge I'm going •capable
wrong with me? through, not how weak I am. •stronger
•Only weak people react the
way I do.