Buen Amigo: Stress and Management (Part 2 of 4)

Previously we’ve discussed what’s stress and different types of stress.

As we mention in every one of us there’s actually different types of stress existing.
It’s not about how much stress that’s affecting us, but how we handle these stresses.

In our frenetic, fast-paced world, a lot of us deal with frequent or even constant stress.

Operating on daily red alert comes at the high price of your health, vitality, and peace of mind.

But while it may seem that there’s nothing you can do about your stress level.
The bills aren’t going to stop coming, there will never be more hours in the day for all your errands, your career will always be demanding but in fact you have a lot more control than you might think.

In fact, the simple realization that you’re in control of your life is the foundation of stress management.

Here, I’m sharing my personal thoughts and information I’ve found regarding Stress Management =)

Managing stress is all about taking charge: taking charge of your thoughts, your emotions, your schedule, your environment, and the way you deal with problems.
The ultimate goal is a balanced life, with time for work, relationships, relaxation, fun and the resilience to hold up under pressure and meet challenges head on.

As I always believe, work life balance is very important to every one of us.

There’s many tips or tricks regarding stress management, and I’ve categorized it into 4 different types of management or we shall call it strategy.

Strategy 1: Avoid Unnecessary Stress

Not all stress can be avoided, and it’s not healthy to avoid a situation that needs to be addressed.
(There are many situations in life where you simply must face it)

But you may be surprised, however, by the number of stressors in your life that you can eliminate.

Learn to say ‘No’:
Know your limits and stick to them.
Whether in your personal or professional life, refuse to accept added responsibilities when you’re close to reaching them.
Taking on more than you can handle is a surefire recipe for stress.

Avoid people who stress you out:
If someone consistently causes stress in your life and you can’t turn the relationship around, limit the amount of time you spend with that person or end the relationship entirely.

Take control of your environment:
If the evening news makes you anxious, turn the TV off.
If traffic’s got you tense, take a longer but less-traveled route.
If going to the market is an unpleasant chore, do your grocery shopping online.

Avoid hot-button topics:
If you get upset over religion or politics, cross them off your conversation list.
If you repeatedly argue about the same subject with the same people, stop bringing it up or excuse yourself when it’s the topic of discussion.

Pare down your to-do list:
Analyze your schedule, responsibilities, and daily tasks.
If you’ve got too much on your plate, distinguish between the ‘should’ and the ‘must’.
Drop tasks that aren’t truly necessary to the bottom of the list or eliminate them entirely.

Strategy 2: Alter the situation

When you can’t avoid a stressful situation, try to alter it:
Figure out what you can do to change things so the problem is avoided in the future.
Often, this involves changing the way you communicate and operate in your daily life.

Express your feelings instead of bottling them up:
If something or someone is bothering you, communicate your concerns in an open and respectful way. If you don’t voice your feelings, resentment will build and the situation will likely remain the same.

Be willing to compromise:
When you ask someone to change his or her behavior, be willing to do the same.
If you both are willing to bend at least a little, you’ll have a good chance of finding a happy middle ground.

Be more assertive:
Don’t take a backseat in your own life.
Deal with problems head on, doing your best to anticipate and prevent them.
If you’ve got an exam to study for and your chatty roommate just got home, say up front that you only have five minutes to talk.

Manage your time better:
Poor time management can cause a lot of stress.
When you’re stretched too thin and running behind, it’s hard to stay calm and focused.
But if you plan ahead, you can avoid these stress-inducing pitfalls.

Strategy 3: Accept the things you can’t change

Don’t try to control the uncontrollable:
Many things in life are beyond our control, particularly the behavior of other people.
Rather than stressing out over them, focus on the things you can control such as the way you choose to react to problems.

Look for the upside:
As the saying goes, “What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.”
When facing major challenges, try to look at them as opportunities for personal growth.
If your own poor choices contributed to a stressful situation, reflect on them and learn from your mistakes.

Share your feelings:
Talk to a trusted friend or make an appointment with a therapist.
Expressing what you’re going through can be very cathartic, even if there’s nothing you can do to alter the stressful situation.

Learn to forgive:
Accept the fact that we live in an imperfect world and that people make mistakes.
Let go of anger and resentments. Free yourself from negative energy by forgiving and moving on.

Strategy 4: Adapt to the stressor

If you can’t change the stressor, change yourself.
You can adapt to stressful situations and regain your sense of control by changing your expectations and attitude.

Reframe problems:
Try to view stressful situations from a more positive perspective.
Rather than fuming about a traffic jam, look at it as an opportunity to pause and regroup, listen to your favorite radio station, or enjoy some alone time.

Look at the big picture:
Take perspective of the stressful situation.
Ask yourself how important it will be in the long run. Will it matter in a month? A year?
Is it really worth getting upset over?
If the answer is no, focus your time and energy elsewhere.

Adjust your standards:
Perfectionism is a major source of avoidable stress.
Stop setting yourself up for failure by demanding perfection.
Set reasonable standards for yourself and others, and learn to be okay with ‘good enough’.

Focus on the positive:
When stress is getting you down, take a moment to reflect on all the things you appreciate in your life, including your own positive qualities and gifts.
This simple strategy can help you keep things in perspective.