Stress Management Vocabulary

adverb An adverb is a word that modifies or describes a verb, adjective, or other adverb. In this case, 'anxiously' describes how something is done or the manner in which an action is performed.

• She waited anxiously for the results of her job interview.
• He was anxiously waiting for her text message.
• I was anxiously freaking out before the big presentation.
• The storm clouds gathered anxiously on the horizon.

noun a person's state of mind at a particular time, often seen in their behavior or reactions

• His bad temper often caused tension in the workplace.
• Don't talk to him when he's in a bad temper.
• She's got a real bad temper, watch out for her.
• His bad temper was like a storm brewing, ready to unleash its fury at any moment.

noun A tight grasp or grip

verb To close tightly; to grip or grasp tightly

• She could feel her hands start to clench as she tried to control her anger.
• I could see him clenching his fists, ready to throw a punch.
• He was clenching so hard, his knuckles turned white.
• The suspense was so intense, I could feel my heart clench in my chest.

verb expressing dissatisfaction or annoyance about something

adjective showing a tendency to complain

• She was constantly complaining about the lack of communication within the team.
• Stop complaining and just do something about it.
• Quit your whining and start taking action instead of complaining all the time.
• The storm clouds were like people complaining, dark and looming over everything.

noun a method or strategy for dealing with a difficult situation

verb to deal effectively with something difficult

• Employees are trained on how to cope with stress in the workplace.
• I don't know how to cope with my noisy neighbors anymore.
• I'm just trying to cope with this crazy situation.
• She uses humor to cope with difficult situations.

verb to weaken or make feeble

• The disease debilitated her to the point where she could barely walk.
• His injury really debilitated him, he's been in bed all week.
• That flu really debilitated me, I was out of commission for days.
• The constant stress of work debilitated her mental health.

noun an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat

verb to be afraid of (someone or something) as likely to be dangerous, painful, or threatening

• The fear of failure can often hinder one's ability to take risks.
• I have a fear of spiders, so I always ask someone else to remove them from the house.
• I was so scared, I was shaking like a leaf!
• The fear of the unknown can paralyze us from moving forward in life.

verb To make someone agitated, confused, or nervous.

adjective Feeling or showing agitation, confusion, or nervousness.

• She became flustered when asked to present the report in front of the board members.
• He always gets flustered whenever he has to speak in public.
• I was so flustered during the interview, I couldn't even remember my own name!
• The unexpected news left her feeling flustered, like a whirlwind of emotions swirling inside.

noun a sudden pause or decrease in intensity

verb to come to a sudden stop or decrease in intensity

• The letup in the rain allowed for the outdoor event to continue as planned.
• Once the letup in traffic happened, we were able to make up some time on our road trip.
• I can't believe the letup in drama at work, it's been so peaceful lately.
• The letup in her laughter was a sign that something was bothering her.

noun a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from anxiety or stress

• The presentation was met with a sense of nervous tension as the audience waited for the speaker to begin.
• I could feel the nervous tension in the room before the big announcement was made.
• There was so much nervous tension in the air, you could cut it with a knife.
• The nervous tension between the two rival teams was palpable on the field.

verb to give someone too much of something, such as work or information, making them feel unable to deal with it

• The sheer volume of data can overwhelm even the most experienced analysts.
• I feel like my to-do list is starting to overwhelm me.
• I was totally overwhelmed by the surprise party they threw for me.
• Her emotions threatened to overwhelm her as she watched the sunset.

verb to delay or postpone action; put off doing something

• She missed the deadline because she was procrastinating on completing the project.
• I keep procrastinating on studying for my exams.
• Stop procrastinating and just get it done already!
• Procrastinating is like borrowing time from your future self.

noun the action of delaying or postponing something

adjective procrastinative (related to procrastination)

• Procrastination is often seen as a barrier to productivity in the workplace.
• I really need to stop procrastinating and start working on this project.
• I keep putting off studying for my exams, I really need to kick this procrastination habit.
• Procrastination is like a thief of time, stealing away precious moments that could be used more effectively.

noun a sane person

adjective having or showing reason, sound judgment, or good sense

• It is important to maintain a sane mind in times of crisis.
• I don't know how she stays so sane with all the chaos around her.
• I gotta make sure I keep my head on straight and stay sane.
• His mind was a sanctuary of sanity in a world gone mad.

noun composure or coolness, especially in trying circumstances

• The diplomat showed remarkable sang-froid during the tense negotiations.
• Even in the face of danger, she maintained her sang-froid.
• He kept his sang-froid while everyone else panicked.
• Her sang-froid was like a shield, protecting her from the chaos around her.

noun a factor or situation that causes stress or anxiety

• The main stressor in the workplace is the high demand for productivity.
• My biggest stressor right now is meeting all my deadlines.
• My boss is a major stressor in my life.
• Financial problems can be a heavy stressor on one's mental health.

verb to commit or agree to do more than one can realistically accomplish or fulfill

• It is important not to overcommit to projects that you cannot realistically complete.
• Don't overcommit yourself to too many things at once, it's not worth the stress.
• I always tend to overcommit and then end up feeling overwhelmed.
• She tends to overcommit to relationships, often spreading herself too thin.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun

• I am sorry, but I have no time to attend the meeting tomorrow.
• I have no time to hang out this weekend, I have a lot of work to do.
• I ain't got no time for drama in my life right now.
• She had no time for negativity in her life, so she surrounded herself with positive people.

noun excessive devotion to work

• Workaholism is a condition where individuals feel compelled to work excessively and prioritize work above all else.
• Some people just can't seem to stop working, it's like they have a serious case of workaholism.
• Dude, you need to chill out with the workaholism and take a break once in a while.
• Her workaholism was like a black hole, sucking up all her time and energy without end.

noun a made-up word combining 'holiday' and 'itis', used to describe a feeling of laziness or lack of motivation after a holiday

• Many employees experience a decrease in productivity due to holidayitis during the festive season.
• I can't focus on work right now, I think I have a bad case of holidayitis.
• I'm totally slacking off at work because of holidayitis kicking in.
• Holidayitis is like a contagious bug that spreads around the office during the holiday season.

adjective A word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun. In this case, 'stressterical' is a blend of 'stress' and 'hysterical' to convey extreme stress or anxiety in a humorous or exaggerated way.

• The stressterical situation at work required immediate attention from management.
• She was feeling stressterical about the upcoming exam.
• I was so stressterical when I realized I left my phone at home.
• The stressterical atmosphere in the office was palpable as deadlines approached.

noun a hormone secreted by the adrenal glands, especially in conditions of stress, increasing rates of blood circulation, breathing, and carbohydrate metabolism and preparing muscles for exertion

• The body releases adrenalin in response to stress or danger, preparing the individual for fight or flight.
• I always get a rush of adrenalin before a big presentation.
• Dude, that roller coaster ride was so intense, I was pumping adrenalin the whole time!
• The adrenalin of competition fueled her drive to succeed.