Stress management is a skillset

NEXT: A STRESS-FREE EVENING ROUTINE

Stress management is a skillset you can learn

In the words of endocrinologist Hans Selye: “Its not stress that kills us, but our reaction to it”. Excess stress has a negative impact on other areas of our lifestyle. Fortunately, we can learn skills to help us manage it better. Firstly, it is very important that we are able to identify avoidable stress, i.e. stress caused by our own daily choices. Secondly, we can learn skills that help us manage stress that is unavoidable.

Eliminate avoidable stress:

The truth is that we can avoid unnecessary stress. For instance, we can make sure we do things to improve our sleep, which will help us to become less agitated and emotional. Controlling our breathing, exercising, practicing good time management, and not over-worrying also help to reduce stress. In addition, we can choose to spend less time watching the news and we can reduce our social media exposure. We can also learn not to dwell on things in the past, thereby removing another source of avoidable stress.

Manage unavoidable stress:

Unfortunately, everybody experiences things in life that cause suffering or pain. Losing a job or the death of a loved one are situations we cannot change, but we can choose how we deal with them. For example, we can choose to avoid using alcohol as a crutch. Instead, when we are feeling low, we can go for a walk in nature or reach out to a friend. The choices we make at difficult periods in our life can increase or mitigate our stress levels. Understanding what you can do to minimize your stress is key.

What skills can you learn or improve:

We are all different so it is important to be honest with yourself and identify the areas you struggle with the most.

• Work on time management; Plan each day and don’t overcommit yourself

• Avoid procrastination and do your most difficult or unpleasant tasks straight away

• Only use your smartphone for a specific purpose

• Limit how often you check your email throughout the day

• Set aside “quiet time” at least once a day

• Accept things that are out of your control

Breaking it down:

Good time management will really help reduce your stress and improve your quality of life. Plan each day, prioritizing things that are most important to you. Schedule time for yourself and avoid overcommitting. Don’t procrastinate and complete your hardest tasks before lunch time. Be mindful when using your smartphone and electronic devices. Avoid looking at them first thing in the morning or when you’re in bed at night. Email can be overwhelming and distracting. If you designate specific times of the day to check it, you will be able to deal with it in an efficient manner. Control your digital life, don’t let it control you.

Plan some “quiet time” at least once a day. Quiet time helps you rest, relax and heal. Quiet time can be anything from listening to music, reading a book, doing some stretches, going for a walk or taking a brief nap. Lastly, it’s important to remind yourself to accept the things you can’t control. This also applies to the little things and thoughts throughout the day. For example, some people can get very upset in heavy traffic. We can’t change the traffic, but we can learn how to stay calm and not be bothered as much. Listening to your favorite podcast may be one way manage the stress while the traffic clears. Your reaction is a choice.

Do you experience difficulties making changes to your routine in general?

If you struggle with making changes to your routine, we encourage you to study these 11 habits. These habits form the basis for success. Behind each one you will find guidance around how you can introduce that new habit into your daily routine.