11.Worst: Hibernate

The thought of hiding away under the covers sounds pretty great when there's so much to deal with beyond your bedroom door, but sleeping too much isn't the answer. Research shows that the more you sleep, the more tired you actually feel. Increased lethargy is only going to make it that much harder for you to focus, says Hall, and much less likely to deal with the stressors at hand. Plus, studies that have shown an association between chronic oversleeping and diabetes, heart disease, weight gain, and even higher rates of death (though it's unclear if too much sleep causes these problems). Adding health problems to your already heavy load is only going to exacerbate your stress levels.

12.Worst: Ignore the problem

While it's normal to take a mental time out once in a while to watch a funny movie or meet a friend for lunch, consistently avoiding the stress in your life is counterproductive. "When you evade your problems, you don't allow yourself to process or understand what you're dealing with," says Matta. The more you ignore something—whether it's a concrete problem like paying off bills or an emotional one like the fear of losing a job—the greater it's going to get. Your best bet is to reach out for help and make a plan of action that will eventually diminish your problems and alleviate your stress.

...[ Continue to next page ]

Share This Post