Daily life is full of stressors, large and small, which make our day more difficult in some way or another. When you are faced with several stressful situations at once, or have just been given one too many things to think about, it is easy to become overwhelmed and start to lose your ability to sort through everything in an efficient manner.
While some stress is perfectly normal, and can actually help you keep focus, too much stress is bad for your health, both physically and mentally, so it is important to find ways to keep on top of it.
If you are struggling to deal with one or more stressful situations currently, then here are a few tips to help you get through this difficult period.
Take a positive outlook
The worst thing about stress is that it can make a bad situation seem a lot worse. The best way to combat this is to take on a positive outlook. Instead of thinking ‘everything is going wrong,’ instead tell yourself ‘there is a solution’ or ‘everything will turn out okay’.
The worst thing that you can do in an already stressful situation is to panic, as that will only hinder your ability to efficiently deal with all the details.
Calm your thoughts by slowing your breathing, and think about situations where you have successfully overcome difficulty. Try moving to a neutral, quiet space for a few moments to clear your mind and allow yourself to think clearly again.
Remember to put things in perspective; your situation may seem bad, but once you take a step back you’ll realize that it might not be as terrible a circumstance as it first appeared.
Practice gratitude for everything else in your life which is going right, and visualize a positive outcome to your situation.
Be organized
One of the biggest contributors to stress is disorganization. When you leave things to the last minute and are not prepared, then you increase your chances of things going wrong.
A good example of this would be leaving for work late, rushing out of the house in a short amount of time, and leaving those all important documents for the morning meeting on the kitchen counter. By being organized, planning ahead, and giving yourself enough time to collect yourself, you automatically reduce the likelihood of running into stress.
Similarly, if you find yourself already faced with stress, organization could be the key to your escape. Make a list of everything which you need to do, and then prioritize each task in order of importance.
This will help you to work through each thing you need to do, and you won’t feel as much pressure to rush to the next task, as you will know you are doing the most important tasks first.
Find Solutions
Instead of focusing on what you can’t fix, start by dealing with the situations which you do have control over. Don’t rush into decision making, take the time to make a plan of action instead. This will help you make sure you are making the best decision possible.
The important thing is to be decisive, as the longer you spend pondering over possible solutions, the longer you are allowing the stress to continue.
Come up with both short and long-term solutions: not everything can be fixed properly immediately, but there are quick fixes which can be used, until you are able to implement a better solution. For example, if your car breaks down, the short-term solution would be to find another means of transportation.
The longer term plan might be to get a loan from a reputable company, such as Bonsai Finance, and get the car fixed. Once you start making plans and taking action, you will feel the stress begin to fade, because being proactive will provide you with some reassurance.
Ask for help
It is common for people to feel as though they need to handle tough situations on their own, but it is important to remember that you don’t have to do everything alone. If you are struggling and in need of advice, then there is no harm in asking for assistance and support from those around you.
Some people might be able to offer you practical assistance, so that you can get the problem fixed as quickly as possible. If not, there will be others within your friends and family, who will be able to offer emotional support and reassurance, making whatever you are going through easier to handle.
Find coping strategies
Whatever you are going through, there are coping strategies which can help with reducing the effects of stress. Being stressed can cloud your judgment, and lead to further health issues, both emotional (e.g., anxiety and depression) and physical (e.g., illness, physical fatigue, etc.).
Taking time out for yourself, and allowing your mind and body to recharge is important, so try and make time to allow yourself to relax and do something which you enjoy. There are simple practices which you can use to destress, such as meditation, breathwork and the art of mindfulness.
Try new things, and see which technique works best for you. Whatever strategy you choose, make sure it is something which you feel relaxed doing; after all, there is no point trying meditation if you feel uncomfortable in the process.
Be prepared
The best thing that you can take from this experience is to learn from it and avoid ending up in similar situations in the future. While you cannot prevent stress, you can be prepared for it, and plan for unexpected events.
Make sure you do simple things, such as have backups of your computer data stored on separate devices and keep emergency first aid kits accessible in your home and workplace. Keep items in your car which will help you if you break down or find yourself lost somewhere, such as tools, emergency money or food, and high visibility jackets.
Preparation is key when it comes to reducing the amount of stress such a situation can cause
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