Contente led a lecture on how to cope with stress last Thursday at the public library in recognition of National Public Health Week. The city also sponsored a workshop about teen marijuana use and a free pneumonia vaccine clinic last week. Tobacco control activities will be held throughout the month.

All too often, people feel that stress triggers such as financial problems, perfectionism, and negative self-talk are not controllable.

Your boss may be too demanding or your kids are too rebellious. While you can't change your boss or your children, you can adopt certain coping skills, such as journaling. You can write out answers to questions, including, "What do I have control of?" or "What did I do to make myself feel better?"

Contente said four questions at the top of the page can prompt emotional release: What caused your stress? How did you feel, both physically and emotionally? How did you act in response? How did you make yourself feel better?

Tracking the answers to these questions can help you take care of yourself and to say, "This is what I have control over," Contente said.

Express your feelings instead of bottling them up be willing to comprise, and be more assertive are other ways to reduce stress. While these goals are not so easy to achieve, start by setting limits about when to say, "no."

"It's hard to say 'no' in employment situations, especially in this economy," Contente acknowledged. "But it's also important to state what you can't do."

It's also important to avoid people who stress you out. If you can't avoid them completely, limit your time with them, Contente added. "There's nothing wrong with saying, 'Gee, I want to talk to you, but I only have 10 minutes right now.'"

Since stress will inevitably be a part of your life, there are certain measures you can take to adapt to stressors, Contente said. You can reframe problems.

"A lot of stress has to do with your perceptions," she said. "You can always say, 'At least I did X, Y, and Z.'"

Look at the big picture. Know that you can't check everything off your list. Ask yourself, "How important is it?"

Adjust your standards. Look at your perfectionism and ask whether it is realistic if you have kids to accept that your house will not be as clean as you'd like, Contente said.

Focus on the positive. Think about what you enjoy doing and what makes you laugh and try to incorporate that into our daily life, she said.

Stress is also closely tied to depression. Many of the symptoms are similar, such as feelings of hopelessness, loss of interest in daily activities, sleep changes, irritability, and concentration problems. The key here is the length of time you experience these feelings, Contente said.

If the signs last more than two weeks, that is an indicator of depression, she said. Depression is cited as one of the more treatable mental illnesses, but only about half of those who suffer from depression actually seek treatment.

People may be afraid of trusting a mental health provider, or may not realize how depressed they have become. Many people suffer from dysthalmia, a low-grade depression.