2 MIN READ
MAY 2026
6 tips to turn stress into strength
Stress is part of life — and not all stress is bad. Short-term stress can help you stay alert and rise to challenges. But when stress sticks around too long, it can affect your sleep, mood and energy, leaving you feeling overwhelmed or burned out.
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The question isn’t “How do I avoid stress?” It’s “How do I respond to it?” Your Costco benefits offer tools and resources to help kids, teens and adults respond to stress in healthier ways, so it doesn’t take over.
How to respond to stress
Get some fresh air. Step out for a short walk and focus on your breathing. Even a change of scenery can do wonders.
Move your body. For some people, stress creates extra energy. It can help to burn it off with a quick run, strength training or stretching. Or a play break for kids. Even 5–10 minutes can help.
Write down your to-dos. Get tasks out of your head and onto paper. Focus on what needs to happen today — and let the rest wait.
Reframe your thoughts with support from Mind Companion Self-care (ages 13+). Learn simple techniques you can use when stress hits. Self-guided interactive sessions offer grounding and breathing exercises, thought-reframing tools and mini practices that help your mind reset.
Connect with friends or talk it through with a therapist.
- Resources for Living (RFL) provides 8 free counseling sessions per issue, per year. All Costco employees from date of hire, dependents, household members and dependent children living away from home up to age 26 can use RFL.
- Telemynd offers therapy and psychiatry for mental health and medication management for kids ages 5+, teens and adults.
Work with an RFL well-being coach. They can help you discover life hacks, get organized and work toward almost any goal.
Find virtual therapy and psychiatry for kids, teens and adults
Telemynd makes it easier to get support when stress or emotional challenges start to feel like too much. It offers virtual access to licensed therapists, psychologists and psychiatrists specializing in hundreds of conditions. They can evaluate, diagnose, and provide therapy or psychiatric treatment for mainland employees and family members ages 5+ enrolled in the Aetna medical plan.
Resources for you
RFL Worklife offers free and confidential well-being coaching to help you work toward just about any goal, like making new friends and taking on challenges at home or work. Available to all Costco employees and members of your household. Dependent children living away from home can use RFL up to age 26.
RFL.com/Costco | 833-721-2320 (TTY: 711) | No cost
Mind Companion Self-care is a self-guided emotional support program with tools to help you manage stress, work-life balance, anxiety and more through videos, interactive sessions and relaxation exercises. Available to all Costco employees, household members and dependents living away from home up to age 26.
RFL.com/Costco | 833-721-2320 (TTY: 711) | No cost
Telemynd has licensed psychiatrists and therapists who can evaluate, diagnose, and provide therapy or psychiatric treatment for kids, teens and adults from home. They can help determine what’s causing stress and offer support for hundreds of conditions.
Telemynd.com/costco | 866-991-2103 | Ages 5+ | Copays apply
RFL Worklife offers free and confidential well-being coaching to help you work toward just about any goal, like making new friends and taking on challenges at home or work. Available to all Costco employees and members of your household. Dependent children living away from home can use RFL up to age 26.
RFL.com/Costco | 833-721-2320 (TTY: 711) | No cost
Mind Companion Self-care is a self-guided emotional support program with tools to help you manage stress, work-life balance, anxiety and more through videos, interactive sessions and relaxation exercises. Available to all Costco employees, household members and dependents living away from home up to age 26.
RFL.com/Costco | 833-721-2320 (TTY: 711) | No cost
RFL Worklife offers free and confidential well-being coaching to help you work toward just about any goal, like making new friends and taking on challenges at home or work. Available to all Costco employees and members of your household. Dependent children living away from home can use RFL up to age 26.
RFL.com/Costco | 833-721-2320 (TTY: 711) | No cost
Mind Companion Self-care is a self-guided emotional support program with tools to help you manage stress, work-life balance, anxiety and more through videos, interactive sessions and relaxation exercises. Available to all Costco employees, household members and dependents living away from home up to age 26.
RFL.com/Costco | 833-721-2320 (TTY: 711) | No cost