Surprising Stress Mistakes You Might Be Making

It turns out, your habits can affect how you feel just as much as the initial situation that’s stressing you out. And what you think is actually helping your worries might be making them worse. Below are just a few ways your behavior may be sabotaging your stress levels:

You're avoiding what's bothering you.
It's tempting to ditch the source of your stress, but it's not going to make you feel better. The more you avoid it, the worse it gets. But if you deal with the things that stress you out head on, the more mastery you have over them.

You gave into your inner couch potato.
Want to blow off steam? Exercise. Even walking will make a difference. Whatever you do, don't curl up on the couch for hours on end.

You vented to your friends.
Research shows that stress can be contagious, so your ranting may do more harm than good.

You acted on impulse.
It may seem logical to act on your stress, but some choices are better left for a clear mind. People with high levels of stress are worse at making good long-term decisions.