How do you manage stress?

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If the stress is caused by something I have to do, it is just best for me to grin and bear it. Typically, as soon as the task is over with, the anxiety quickly subsides. For example, having dirty dishes in the sink absolutely stresses me out. My husband and I typically cook a few times a week, so we use up quite a few cleaning utensils. I am not going to lie; we have a tendency to let the dishes stack a bit before we wash them. Even walking into the kitchen causes me instant stress just from looking at the sink. Luckily, just ripping the band aid off and doing the washing, makes us both feel so much better and accomplished.

If the stress is caused by something that I know is coming up, I am dealing with the anticipatory anxiety. My way of attempting to deal with this is preparing myself as much as possible without overthinking everything. For example, anytime I had to give a speech in class, I would get as familiar with the content of my speech, that way I felt just a bit more comfortable. Unfortunately, I would also be worried about a million other things like the technology failing or me just completely freezing and forgetting everything. It can be difficult for me to find that balance, not going to lie. 

If my stress is coming from somewhere I have absolutely no control over and is more intrusive, I honestly pray or talk to someone about my feelings. For example, I still find myself having some anxiety about things that happened years ago, or I fear as though someone is about to pass away. While I cannot go back into the past and change things, nor convince myself that everyone is secretly immortal, I turn to God for comfort and peace. Ultimately, I try to turn to God anytime I am stressed, regardless of the reason.