3 HEALTHY WAYS TO STAY CALM WHEN STRESSED

 

BUILDING BETTER HABITS 

A calm executive beating stress /Photo Courtesy /Andrea Piacquadio

What Is Stress?

There is a lot of pressure in contemporary society. There are a lot of things that are happening that can easily stress someone. The threats and demands that come with things that are happening or not happening can stress you. And in modern society, the level of stress is very high among adults and children. Being in a state of worry due to a complex encounter or task means you are stressed out. Worry in most occasion, comes from not knowing what to do. The feeling of inadequacy make people worry because they don’t know how to complete a task. Other people worry when unexpected occurrences happen and they don’t what to do in those uncertain times. The unexpected occurrences and complex scenarios come across as threats to normal human beings. And when these difficult things and moments occur, children and adults get stressed.

Every normal human being experiences stress at one point in life. And stress in its typical sense is not that bad. It is a respond that alerts people that there is a threat. However, when stress levels escalate to an extent that they cause you sleepless nights. Then you need to do something. Lack of sleep and concentration will hurt you. And it is unhealthy. Constant worry is a sign of stress. And you need to confront the thing that is making you get worried or even panic. There are a lot of stress factors out there. Your source can be personal or professional. Whatever is getting you stressed, confront it. Is it plans failing to go as expected? Or some disappointment from one activity to the next. Life itself is a lot of stress. And we cannot continue this way.  We need solutions to our sources of stress. So discover these three strategies and bid stress goodbye. 

Reframe Your Approach

This is very important when you experience complexity. A complex situation can easily overwhelm and stress you. Don’t look at the complexity and heaviness of the situation. Instead, change your approach of how you respond to the difficult matter. Instead of a head-on-collision with the situation. How about turning away from the complexity? Use reverse engineering. Don’t panic at all. Panic is the first response people express when they encounter a difficult moment. When you panic, you admit that you are not fully equipped to combat the situation. You lack key tools that are ideal for the situation. When you are in this state of mind, stress will knock you down. You will lose control. And that is really bad. You will worsen the matter. And that will break you down.

High Determined stress-free executives solving problems /Photo /Vlada Karpovich 

However, when you reframe your approach. You introduce a new angle of how you see the problem. Instead of seeing it as too much to bear. Think about a past experience. When you faced a similar problem. Begin to brainstorm the experience you encountered yourself or you witnessed. If the strategies employed worked in the past, then you have nothing to worry about. Execute one of those strategies to this current situation. And shift your focus away from the intensity of the problem. Just focus on the actions. Don’t do the actions while doubting. Calm yourself down. If you made it in the past, you can make it too today. The situation might be complex, but you are not a push-over. You can fight. You can stand up for yourself. You will not fall at the first glimpse of the threat. You will remain focused and find a solution.

Threats make people panic. And when you panic. You get disoriented. You will not know what to do. That is how stress will take toll on you. Threats come with a purpose. They aim to introduce fear and panic. And when they manage to make you panic or start doubting yourself. They will run over you. You will get destroyed.  Because you focused on the magnitude of the problem. You looked at the situation directly in the eye and learned that it is too complex for you. And right now, you don’t have a solution to this type of problem. The thoughts of lose takeover and you lose control. This is not a healthy way to respond to complex things. Panic is not a solution. It complicates matters. If you are stressed over something, don’t panic. Instead, look at the problem using a different approach.

Physical Activity

When under stress, engage yourself in any physical activity you love. Start running. Take a walk, or perform low-impact exercises. Taking up a physical activity will take your mind away from the stressful moment. Your energy will go towards running or walking. The fresh air will make you feel good. You will focus on doing the physical activity correctly not the thing that is stressing you out. Spending some time in physical activity will put you in the right frame of mind. After completing a walk, run, swim, dance, or gardening activity. Your stress levels will have gone down.  Your worries would have subsided. You will be calm and in your right mind. This way you will be a rational thinker. You will remember someone and give that person a call. And you will quickly learn that there is always someone who knows better.

Brave men mulling over healthy ways to stay calm /Photo / Thirdman

Think about those people. If the situation that is stressing you out is beyond your control. Don’t react with them. Have faith in the people who can handle it. Even when the matter has inconvenienced you beyond measure. Remain calm. The problem will be fixed. However, in the meantime. Take up a physical activity that you love and do it. Spend your time carrying out activities under the physical activity. A physical activity will help you stay fit. The activity will prevent you from getting stressed further because your energy will go into doing the right things during the physical activity. For example, if you chose running. Your mind will be on the road. Your focus will be on the road because you don’t want to fall or get in the way of other people.

Trust Your Abilities

If you have been doing these tasks for the last ten or 20 years, then you know what to do. The mere fact that some things got disguised does not mean that you are not equipped. You know what to do. You only need to regroup and focus. The tasks might look complex. A little intimidating. Or even demanding. However, you have the skills. You have been in this profession for a long time. You have seen many different things. And you don’t need to get stressed when new things get introduced in a different way. Just know when to elevate your game. If high standards are needed in the new tasks, then raise those standards. Trust your abilities. You can do these complex tasks. Don’t focus on what you don’t have. Look at what you already have and learn how you will innovate. Just reimagine the situation using new tactics.

Look at the matter again. You will notice something familiar. And that alone will give you the confidence you need to get started. You might not have the exact tools that the situation demands. However, you have experience in this type of work. You have seen something like these before. Tap into your abilities and remain calm. Get to work. While performing activities that get you to win. Ensure that you follow the right instructions. Double-check everything and avoid errors. You are looking for a smooth flow of operations. And errors will derail you. so don’t allow them in your solutions and strategies. Get your strategies right in the beginning. And maintain the momentum to the end. You have a lot of experience in this matter. Improvise and innovate. Use whatever is within reach that can get the job done. Don’t give room for doubt to set in. Trust yourself. Have confidence in your skills and experiences. And proceed. You will make it.