We are all aware how sometimes it seems like there’s nothing we can do about stress at work and home, but there actually are steps that we can take to maintain them at a minimum.
But first, why is it even important to “manage” our stress?
Living with high levels of stress puts our entire well-being at risk. It affects us both emotionally and physically. With uncontrolled stress, we seem to make bad decisions that we regret later on because when we’re already stressed, we have the tendency to avoid thinking more, only to end up adding more stress when we start regretting our choices. Sounds familiar?
On the contrary…
Being able to manage our stress effectively increases our productivity because we do more and are more efficient when we are happy.
What seems to be confusing and hard to most is… That we need a happy life to be less stressed but at the same time need our stress levels at a minimum to be able to live a happy life.
The key?
Finding the BALANCE.
THE BALANCE
The ultimate key to keeping your stress levels down is living a balanced life for family, friends, relationships, work, hobbies, relaxation, fun, and just about finding the time to do the things that you love – heck, you can even experiment to figure out more things that could actually make you happy!
Sounds easy, right?
But the problem is that… In stress management, just like in everything else – there’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. But of course, IT’S ALWAYS POSSIBLE.
Having that said, here are tips in stress management that you can try:
1. Identifying the sources
Think of it, how can you solve something if you do not know what’s causing it?
Wait – don’t get too comfortable, this isn’t as easy as it sounds. It could be easy to identify major stressors like big or unexpected life changes, but what about those that have always been there?
Let’s say you feel like you’re stressed every day because of the job demands, so you blame the demands of the job immediately for your stress – you resigned.
Before you resigned, have you ever tried looking at your “own ways”? Maybe you’re procrastinating, maybe you just need to be more efficient and need to have a structure you can follow. Get the point?
To truly identify which is which, you need to CLOSELY evaluate your habits and attitude or responses to things being thrown at you. How do you react? Have you tried changing it, or trying a different way?
Remember, until you learn to change your responses to positive ones, your stress level will remain outside your control.
BONUS: Start a stress journal for easy tracking. Jot down things like what caused your stress, how it made you feel, how did you respond, and what you did to feel better. Believe me, it goes a LONG WAY!
2. Practicing the 4 A’s
While we can’t predict when stress comes, there are actually some stressors that we can easily identify (e.g. commuting to work, upcoming meetings, daily responsibilities) but can NEVER escape.
When it comes to those types of stressors, the only thing that we can change is the way we handle them. We already know that we cannot change the situation and that there’s nothing we can do, so we can only change our reaction.
And that’s where the 4 A’s come in: Avoid, Alter, Adapt, Accept
- Avoid: Is the situation avoidable? If yes, then this is the best that you can do, even if that means avoiding certain people. Set your own healthy boundaries and always know when to say NO. After all, taking more than what you know you can handle is one of the best ways to fluctuate your stress on a high level.
- Alter: As I’ve mentioned, there are stressors that we cannot escape from. If a situation is unavoidable, altering is your best option. Just change the way you run your life. If you’re used to holding up your emotions, learn to speak up – or if you’re used to not speaking to keep your cool, try to be more assertive and communicative in a very open and respectful way, even if that includes compromising, because hey – it takes two to tango!
- Adapt: Can’t change a stressor? Swim with it. Reframe problems and view them from a more positive perspective, like instead of getting agitated in heavy traffic, use it to listen to your favorite songs or sing in the car and enjoy some alone time. Just – always look at the bigger picture!
- Accept: If all else fails and you feel like you’re left with none – you’ll be surprised as this is the most magical one. Acceptance – accepting a diagnosis of a serious illness, accepting the death of loved ones, accepting whatever’s bound to come. This could be the hardest, but in the long run – your key to healing and happiness.
3. Just get moving
This may be the last thing you probably feel like doing when you’re stressed, but physical activity is a huge stress reliever. You don’t have to be an athlete or a gym rat, to begin with – just try to start it and experience the benefits. You’ll be shocked that one day it becomes a habit and a go-to for energy and mood boost.
4. The calm in connecting
There is nothing more calming and refreshing than REALLY connecting with another human being. And when I say connecting, it doesn’t necessarily mean talking nonstop together. It could also mean just spending time together eating good food, watching a good movie, or absolutely just doing nothing and just feeling the warmth these people bring.
5. Dedicating some ALONE time
While it sounds boring to some, once you try spending time with yourself doing the things you love, you’ll get addicted to it. You will have the time to relax, reflect, and have the best conversations you can have with yourself.
ARE YOU READY?
Are you ready to maintain your stress at a minimum?
Start the action steps one by one, or access my complimentary full guide HERE.
To keeping stress levels low,
