Keeping the Stress Monster in Check

Are you stressed? Ready for the therapist’s couch? Wondering if you should just dump your corporate job and run away to Alaska to work on a fishing boat?

In today’s world, more people are having to deal with increasing anxiety at the intersection of career, home, family and social life. Is it just me, or are a lot of us just not sure of whether we’re coming or going anymore?

Since stress can come from nearly anywhere, it’s tough to thoroughly deal with every possible scenario. But here are a few actions you can take to get rid of - or lessen - the amount of stress you’re experiencing in your daily life.

Change your circumstances. This applies in both large and small ways. For example, if your job is taxing you to the breaking point, start searching for a new career regardless of how good the money is. If you get overly agitated in traffic, take a longer, less-travelled route. The point is to eliminate that which is causing you to become stressed. If you don’t know where to start with this one, remember that a counselor or coach can be a great source of support in this area.

Manage your technology. It’s unhealthy to assume that we should drop everything and respond to every cell phone, instant message or email alert that goes off. Certain tasks require concerted effort and extended concentration. Certain people require our full attention, especially those we love or those whom we have the greatest responsibility toward. Learn how to schedule your phone calls and email use to certain parts of the day. This way you can take back personal control and not lose sight of your priorities.

Manage your time. Highly effective people have mastered this trick, while the rest of us float in the space between What I Should be Doing and What’s Diverting Me This Time. Sharpen your scheduling, organization, and prioritizing skills and you’d be surprised at how much time you can negotiate for yourself in a single day.
Learn to cope. All stress can’t be avoided. It’s just a normal part of day to day life. But if you’re finding yourself getting overly stressed, you can take steps to learn how to handle it better so it doesn’t affect you negatively. This can include therapy, relaxation techniques or changing your attitude towards certain situations. Stress, no matter how bad, doesn’t have to master you.

Lighten your load. Are you trying to do too much? Take a look at your schedule and eliminate things that aren’t really necessary to having a happy life. You don’t have to do it all. Being happy and successful isn’t always about what you do, but about how you live.

When we let stress rule over us, we lose out on the ability to stop, enjoy, and appreciate that which makes life worth living. Time to slow down… fast.

Thanks to Brain Blogger for including this post in Brain Blogging.

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