Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. Everyone feels stress or anxiety from time to time.

Stress is often a general response to an external cause. Stress goes away when the situation resolves. Stress can be both positive and negative. It may inspire you to meet a deadline, or it may cause you to lose sleep.

Anxiety is often internal and is a reaction to stress. Anxiety can be constant and can often interfere with how you live day to day life.

Here are some ways you can cope with stress and anxiety:

• Keep a journal.
• Download an app that provides relaxation exercises (such as deep breathing or visualization) or tips for practicing mindfulness, which is a psychological process of actively paying attention to the present moment.
• Exercise, and make sure you are eating healthy, regular meals.
• Stick to a sleep routine, and make sure you are getting enough sleep.
• Avoid drinking excess caffeine such as soft drinks or coffee.
• Identify and challenge your negative and unhelpful thoughts.
• Reach out to your friends or family members who help you cope in a positive way.

If you or a loved one need more help, please reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. This service connects people with trained crisis counselors 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.