adminStress is inevitable. It walks in and out of our lives on a regular basis. And it can easily walk all over us unless we take action. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to minimise and cope with stress.
Here are 10 ideas for handling stress without causing more strain and hassle.
1. Figure out where the stress is coming from
Often times, when we’re stressed, it seems like a big mess with stressors appearing from every angle. We start to feel like we’re playing a game of dodge ball, ducking and darting so we don’t get smacked by a barrage of balls. We take a defensive position, and not a good one at that.
Instead of feeling like you’re flailing day to day, identify what you’re actually stressed about.
Is it a specific project at work, an upcoming exam, a dispute with your boss, a heap of laundry, a fight with your family?
2. Consider what you can control — and work on that
While you can’t control what your boss does, what your in-laws say or the sour state of the economy, you can control how you react, how you accomplish work, how you spend your time and what you spend your money on.
The worst thing for stress is trying to take control over uncontrollable things. Because when you inevitably fail — since it’s beyond your control — you only get more stressed out and feel helpless.
So after you’ve thought through what’s stressing you out, identify the stressors that you can control, and determine the best ways to take action.
3. Do what you love
It’s so much easier to manage pockets of stress when the rest of your life is filled with activities you love.
Even if your job is stress central, you can find one hobby or two that enrich your world.
What are you passionate about? If you’re not sure, experiment with a variety of activities to find something that’s especially meaningful and fulfilling.
4. Manage your time well
One of the biggest stressors for many people is lack of time.
Their to-do list expands, while time flies. How often have you wished for more hours in the day or heard others lament their lack of time?
We all have the same 168 hours, and yet there are plenty of people who are dedicated parents and full-time employees and who get at least seven hours of sleep a night and lead fulfilling lives.
5. Create a toolbox of techniques
One stress-shrinking strategy won’t work for all your problems. For instance, while deep breathing is helpful when you’re stuck in traffic or hanging at home, it might not rescue you during a business meeting.
Because stress is complex, what we need is a toolbox that’s full of techniques that we can fit and choose for the stressor in the present moment.
6. Pick off the negotiables from your plate
Review your daily and weekly activities to see what you can pick off your plate.
Do your kids really love their extracurricular activities, or are they doing them to please you?
Are you volunteering for too many causes, and so stealing time from the ones where you could make the most impact?
Reducing your stack of negotiable tasks can greatly reduce your stress.
7. Are you leaving yourself extra vulnerable to stress?
Whether you perceive something as a stressor depends in part on your current state of mind and body.
Each transaction we’re involved in takes place in a very specific context that’s affected by our health, sleep, psychoactive substances, whether we’ve had breakfast (that day) and (whether we’re) physically fit.
So if you’re not getting sufficient sleep or physical activity during the week, you may be leaving yourself extra susceptible to stress.
8. Preserve good boundaries
If you’re a people-pleaser, saying no feels like you’re abandoning someone, have become a terrible person or are throwing all civility out the window.
But of course that couldn’t be further from the truth. Plus, those few seconds of discomfort are well worth avoiding the stress of taking on an extra activity or doing something that doesn’t contribute value to your life.
9. Realise there’s a difference between worrying and caring
Sometimes, our mindset can boost stress, so a small issue mushrooms into a pile of problems.
We continue worrying, somehow thinking that this is a productive — or at least inevitable — response to stress.
But we mistake worry for action. When we are caring for someone or something, we do the things that support or advance the best interests of the person or thing that we care about.”
10. Embrace mistakes—or at least don’t drown in perfectionism
Another mindset that can exacerbate stress is perfectionism.
Trying to be mistake-free and essentially spending your days walking on eggshells is exhausting and anxiety-provoking.
Talk about putting pressure on yourself!
And as we all know but tend to forget: Perfectionism is impossible and not human, anyway. — www.psychcentral.com
Online Reporter