Know more about your STRESS
Check List of Your Symptoms:
Calm down and take a deep breath, you are not alone! Spend a minute or so to check all the feelings you are experiencing. You can remember them so you’ll know what to do next time!
How to Manage Your Stress?
Find the sources not enough? We all have our own way of learning! We provide some simple tips for you to follow. You can try different ones to find what suit YOU the most!
Deep breathing method to relieve anxiety and stress
The “4-7-8” method helps reduce anxiety through breath regulation.
First, empty your lungs of any remaining air.
4: Inhale for 4 seconds (just counting is fine, you won’t need a timer)
7: Next, hold your breath for 7 seconds
8: Finally, exhale through your mouth for 8 secondsYou can repeat this for up to 4 times.
Remember that if at any moment you feel dizzy and out of breath, you should stop this exercise.
You should identify and take note of the triggers of stress. These triggers are:
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Overstimulation
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Social issues
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Communication issues
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Emotional issues
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Adapting to change
If you are able to take note of these triggers and actively thinking about them, you are more likely to prevent stress.
Identify Triggers of Stress
Many neurodiverse people tend be very hyper-active and can overstimulate a lot. The best way to deal with this overstimulation is to utilize sensory tools.
These tools can include:
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Spinning chairs
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Stress balls
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Weighted blankets
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Weighted vests
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Pop-it toys
Sensory Tools
Creating a schedule for the day allows for you to plan out exactly what you are going to do without pushing forward blindly.
For many people, this is a great way to reduce stress as it takes away the uncertainty of what is going to happen on a certain day.
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We have a planning system for you in the website CLICK here to try it out!
Creating a Schedule
A lot of people experience stress due to the environment they are currently in. This can include loud noises, bright lights, heat/cold, or even too many/too few people. Ways to help with this are:
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Turning off/dimming lights
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Use headphones with noise cancellation
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Change the AC OR go in/outside
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Find rooms with few or many people, depending on preference.
Change the Surrounding Environment
Lots of people get very stressed out when they are put in a situation where they have to socially interact. Although they would want to avoid these scenarios, it is important to interact with others.
The best way you can reduce stress from social interactions or other events that can feel stressful is by noticing how stressed you become, and taking time off to do something you enjoy. This relieves stress you feel from other situations you might have been in.
Monitor Your Energy Level
What Are You Going Through?
Review the check list, normally, the more the checkboxes fit your feelings, the more the stress you might experience in the current moment!
Don’t worry! To understand more about your condition, see the sources below:
Stress is a state of worry or tension that is caused by a challenging or difficult situation.
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However, stress can be both positive or negative, helping you overcome the pressures
Those who have Autism may experience stress in a different way from others.
Stress can be much more intense and could have different triggers or responses
Try click the word to see more info in other websites!!
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Hyper-/hypo-sensitivity/Overstimulation
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Social challengesDifficulty adapting to change
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Communication issues
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Difficulty controlling emotions
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Meeting up with or talking to someone to explain your thoughts and feelings
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Stimming: rocking, flapping hands, other movements can help reduce stress
How does stress affect you?
Being very stressed can lead to:
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Emotional breakdownsIssues with sleep
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Decreased concentration
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Social isolation
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Regression in skills
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Depression
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Manage and Monitor your energy levels, especially after social interactions; make sure to recharge and spend sometime for yourself!
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Make sure to eat healthy! Food can affect your mood.
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Try Mindfulness Meditation to help reduce the effects of stress and anxiety!
Know Your Own Circumstance?
Sometimes, its perfectly normal for all of us struggling in some certain circumstances, and we all need help in the moment!! Find what's useful for your current situation and start from there:
What can you do in Noisy Environment?
Of course, in any situation in which you feel overwhelmed / overstimulated, the first thing you should do is try to leave. However, if in a situation that you cannot excuse yourself such as a formal event (school or work related), here are some tips for you .
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As there isn’t much you could do without planning ahead, try to always carry a kit with you at all times.
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First identify your triggers- for example, you should bring headphones and earplugs with you at all times if you are sound sensitive, or bring sunglasses with you if you’re light sensitive.
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However, if you really don’t have anything with you, you should contact a friend and quietly inform them, before people leaving the noisy area. Remember, even if you’re in a situation in which it may be awkward to leave, always take care of yourself and make sure you feel fine.
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Taking intermittent short breaks also help alleviate some of the overstimulation from being in a noisy space for a long time.
What can you do in Classrooms?
If you ever feel stressed out or overwhelmed in school, here are some tips:
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Let your teacher know! They may allow you to leave the classroom if needed
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Find a quiet space- go out in the hallway or bathroom. You may feel more stressed out when people are around, so it’s important to space away from others when needed!
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Try some breathing exercises! They can help calm you and your brain from everything happening around you!
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Drink some water and take all the time that you need before returning back to the classroom!
To deal with Public Space
Helpful tips to deal with overstimulation in public spaces
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Once again, it would be most effective if you’ve already prepared a kit knowing your triggers. However, if you don’t have one yet, you should try to leave the area that makes you uncomfortable with your triggers in mind. For example, you could leave unnecessarily bright spaces, instead moving to perhaps a dimmer area.
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In addition, if you are unable to leave the public space, taking short breaks occasionally will help you relieve some of the overstimulation.
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Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help— whether you need to ask for directions, or asking to lower the music volume in a loud restaurant.
What is the difference between STRESS and ANXIETY?
STRESS
ANXIETY
Both
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In response to a recognized threat
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Short-term trigger
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Generally is a response to an external cause, such as meeting a deadline or arguing with a friend.
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Goes away once the situation is resolved.
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Can be positive or negative. I.E. may inspire you to meet a deadline OR cause you to lose sleep.
Both stress & anxiety can affect your mind & body.You may expierence symptoms such as:
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Excessive worry
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Uneasiness
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Tension
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Headaches
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Body pain
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High blood pressure
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Loss of sleep
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May not have an identifiable trigger
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Long-term trigger
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Anxiety is often a response to fear, uncertainty, or doubts we have about something that's causing us stress.
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Usually involves a persistent feeling of apprehension or dread that doesn't go away, and that interferes with how you live your life. Is constant, even if there is no immediate threat.
How to reach out for help?
When we are experiencing stress, we have to know that no one is alone!! There are many ways you can seek for help from different places and people. Here are some ways you can try to assist you release your stress:
Other resources outside of school could be family members and friends (that you trust)— although they may not be professionally trained to help you, they could give you reassurance and also help you in finding experts. You could also find professionals in your area such as therapists to reach out to if you wish to.
Outside of school
In School
Although this may not apply at all schools, typically your school should have resources to reach out for help. Such include a counsellor, a school nurse or even a teacher that you trust. However, if you don’t feel comfortable to share with adults at your school, there are also other resources you could reach out to.