The way we react to stressful situations might be learned from how our parents or guardians dealt with disappointment or hard situations. It becomes easy to approach stress the same way every time we experience an uncomfortable or unfamiliar situation. Unfortunately, stress will always exist and be present in our lives in some form or another. Thankfully, scientists believe there are benefits to a healthy dose of stress; what really matters is how we deal with what we encounter. Here are some ways from Lifehack to change the way you deal with stress:
Authentically respond to stress rather than just react. It’s easy to react to stressful events out of fear or confusion. Authentically responding to these events is the part that matters. Our fight or flight response will generally kick in during these situations, so you need to be sure to check in with how you’re feeling. How can you manage this new stress? What emotions are surfacing in this moment? Remember, although the situation might be out of our control, we can still control our emotions. Ditch the temper tantrums or tirades and opt for stating how you feel. Acknowledging the stress is healthier than masking it with anger or fear.
See the situation in its entirety. Focus on any positives that may be present, instead of running around in circles, caught up in the negative and dreadful aspects. If you evaluate what the end result could be, you can put the focus on an open, welcoming perspective of how to deal with a situation that must be dealt with. How can you turn this situation into one that has a healthy resolution?
Learn to accept change and understand stress. Things will not always go the way you planned. That’s life sometimes. However, stress that comes along with a change of plans isn’t always a bad thing. Positive stress can be motivating; it can challenge you and your behavioral patterns. It may force you to approach your situation differently.
“Don’t be a victim of your stress. Remaining immobilized and stagnant in the fear that your stressful situation has caused is not a way of accepting that stress exists. It is important to be aware of stress, differentiate good stress from bad stress, and embrace change so that you can better deal with stress when you encounter it.” – Lifehack
Embrace a mindful revolution. Mindfulness can be an effective way of dealing with stress. You may want to incorporate yoga, exercise, picking up a sport, eating healthier, attending a religious ceremony, meditating, practice breathing exercises, reading more books, journaling, listening to calming music, creating a cozy nook for yourself to relax in, etc. Visualizing your life without unnecessary stressors can be a useful tool in refocusing your life. Finding a way to spend time in a joyful activity is a great way to focus the mind on the positives rather than the negatives in your life.
Acknowledge any negative past behaviors. Have you heard this saying before?
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” – Albert Einstein
Einstein was correct in acknowledging that making a change is what’s needed to overcome past behaviors. You can change the way you deal with stress. You are allowed to break old habits and create new ones. You didn’t sign a contract with the stress in your life, there’s no obligation to let it control your life. Be careful not to avoid dealing with areas of your life that are difficult. It’s easy to pretend there’s no problem or to ignore the feelings you’re experiencing. Instead of brushing underlying issues under the rug, grab a broom and clean them up, once and for all. The longer you evade the emotions, the longer you are postponing a happier and healthier life.
Lastly, accept help from family or friends. They want the best for you. Stressful times are not an easy burden to carry alone, and it’s okay to ask for help. Taking the time to build a personal support system for yourself is extremely important to your physical and mental well-being. Focus on you for the remainder of 2020!