3 Steps for Stress Management
Jan 31, 2022
We all have stress – at work, at home and on the road. Sometimes we can feel especially stressed because of a bad interaction with someone, too many priorities, everyday hassles like getting stuck in traffic. Our triggers are all different but for any of us stress can build up in an overwhelming way without a healthy tactic for management.
Chronic stress can be like a domino knocking down your opportunities, your days, your weeks, etc and keep you from feeling and performing your best – mentally, physically and emotionally. But no one’s life is completely stress-free. It’s important to know how to manage the stress in your life. These three simple techniques will help you deal with stress.
Let’s be honest, we all talk to ourselves! Sometimes we talk out loud, but usually we do it in our heads. Self-talk can be positive (“I can do this” or “everything will be OK”) or negative (“I’ll never get better” or “I’m so stupid”). Negative self-talk increases stress. Positive self-talk can help you calm down and manage stress. There’s power in words. How do compliments make you feel? What about your favorite song? Do you have a motto or favorite quote? Remember these words. With practice, you can learn to shift negative thoughts to positive ones. For example:
Negative to Positive
To really make it work, practice positive self-talk every day – in the car, at your desk, before you go to bed or whenever you notice negative thoughts. It’s a great practice to teach kids, too!
Emergency stress-stoppers are actions to help you defuse stress in the moment. You may need different stress-stoppers for different situations, and sometimes it helps to combine them.
Here are some stress relievers:
Doing things you enjoy is a natural way to relieve stress and find your happy place. Even when you’re down, you may find pleasure in simple things like going for a walk, catching up with a friend or reading a good book.
When stress makes you feel bad, do something that makes you feel good – even if only for 10 or 15 minutes.
Some of these stress-relieving activities may work for you:
The key is to find your groove and make it a practice. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you will start to feel better once you disrupt the cycle of stress.