How To Handle Stress

There is no getting around it.  Just like in every life a little rain must fall, stress is inevitable.  If you are not careful, stress can walk right into your life and toss you around like a little rag doll leaving you frazzled and frenzied.  Thank goodness there are things that can be done to handle stress.  The following are ten ideas that you can use to handle stress.

One way to handle stress is to pinpoint its origin.

Most times when we suffer from stress it seems like the stress is coming from all directions.  We try to dodge the stress like playing a mental game of dodge ball and the balls are coming from all directions.

Don’t get socked by one of those balls.  Take the time to identify the stressor.  Get specific.  Is it a project at work, taxes that need to be filed, housework that you have been putting off?

If you get specific and pinpoint the stressors in your life you will be closer to neutralizing the stress.

A Second Way to Handle Stress Is to Focus on What You Can Control

In most cases, you can’t control what someone else does or the elements.  You can, however, control how you react to outside stimuli.

Don’t try to control the things that you just can’t control.  Things like what your boss will say or the value of the dollar.  You will inevitably fail if you try to control things that are out of your control and will become even more stressed out with a feeling of helplessness.  Take an inventory of the things that stress you.  Target the stressors that you can control and figure out a way to take action.

A Third Way to Handle Stress is to Do What You Love

It’s a lot easier to handle instances of stress when your life is filled with things that you love doing.  If your job is the stressor then find hobbies that you love doing.  Try to do things that you are passionate about.  If you are not sure what you are passionate about then try several activities until you find one that holds meaning for you.

A Fourth Way to Handle Stress is Good Time Management

Many people are stressed because they just don’t have enough time.  Their to-do list just does not fit into their time constraints.  I am sure you have heard others exclaim that “there is just not enough hours in a day.” 

Everybody has the same 168 hours in a week.  There are people that use this 168 hours and manage to work, do extra activities and sleep at least seven hours every night.  It all boils down to how you handle your time.  There are plenty of books on the subject of time management.  It would be worth your time to read some of them.  One book that comes highly recommended is a book by Laura Vanderkam called ‘168 Hours:  You Have More Time Than You Think.’

A Fifth Way to Handle Stress Is to Create a Reservoir of Methods

All stressors are not created equal.  Therefore one method to control stress will not work on all of your stressors.  For example deep breathing techniques might help while taking a test but would be inappropriate in a face to face meeting.

Stress is not a simple phenomena, therefore we need a collection of techniques that we can pick and choose from to fit each instance of stress.

A Sixth Way to Handle Stress is to Get Rid of the Negotiables

Take the time to consider the things that are priority and the things that are negotiable.  Do you really have to belong to so many clubs?  Do you really need to hold a daily conference call?

This is a time to trim the fat.  Is your life full of activities that don’t give your life meaning or don’t go along with your goals and values.  It’s time to remove all of the activities that aren’t in sync with your true purpose.

A Seventh Way to Handle Stress Is to Lessen Your Vulnerability to Stress

Your physical body acts like an antenna for stress when it is not in good condition.  Make sure that you are getting enough rest.  If you don’t get enough sleep even the slightest stressor can send you over the edge.  Also drink enough water and get plenty of exercise.  The healthier and stronger your body is the less susceptible it will be to stress.

An Eighth Way to Handle Stress Is to Watch Your Boundaries

It is much easier to say yes to someone than to say no.   After all, you don’t want to feel bad and you don’t want the other person to feel bad.  You feel like you are a terrible person if you say no.  Well, that notion is far from the truth.  It is better to say no and feel a few moments of discomfort than to have the stress of taking on extra responsibilities that just don’t fit into your schedule or just doesn’t add value to your life.

Happy people are selective with their time.  They are very careful not to have their boundaries crossed.  You too can begin to be more selective with your time.  Whenever you are faced with the choice to add something to your schedule just go down the checklist.  One, will this add value to my life; and, two, do I really have time in my schedule for this extra activity.

A Ninth Way to Handle Stress Is to Note the Difference Between Worrying and Caring

Sometimes our minds mistake worrying for action.  Our minds fool us into thinking that worrying is being productive.  Google defines worry as to “give way to anxiety or unease; allow one’s mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles.”  Worry is a way for your mind to try enact change by thinking on the problem.  Caring is actually doing something that will bring about a positive change to the person or thing that we care about.

Just think about it.  If you are away from your home for a week and the whole time you worry about how your plants are not being watered, they still will be brown and withered when you return home.  Worrying does not fix the problem.  Having someone come in and water your plants would be fixing the problem.

Another example would be worrying about your finances.  Worrying about your finances does nothing but to get you sick with worry.  Caring about your finances means using coupons, creating a budget and paying your bills on time. 

Changing your actions from worrying to caring will do a lot to reduce your levels of stress.

A Tenth Way to Handle Stress Is to Abandon Perfectionism

Perfectionism is a mindset that can exacerbate stress.  Trying to be 100% mistake free is another way of setting yourself up for failure.  No one is perfect and trying to be so is just putting undue pressures on yourself. 

Research has shown that perfectionism hinders success.  It also leads to addiction, life-paralysis and anxiety. 

Ward off perfectionism and become more compassionate to yourself.  Forgive yourself when you make mistakes.  As the old adage goes “To err is human.”

(This article was written via ’10 PracticalWays to Handle Stress,’ by Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S.)

If you learned anything new from this post then please leave a comment.

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