We
all know that living under stressful conditions has serious emotional,
even physical, consequences. So why do we have so much trouble taking
action to reduce our stress levels and improve our lives?
Researchers
at Yale University finally have the answer. They found that stress
reduces the volume of grey matter in the areas of the brain responsible
for self-control.
So
experiencing stress actually makes it more difficult to deal with
future stress because it diminishes your ability to take control of the
situation, manage your stress and keep things from getting out of
control.
A vicious cycle if there ever was one.
But don't be
disheartened. It's not impossible to reduce your stress levels; you
just need to make managing stress a higher priority if you want to
reverse this effect. The sooner you start managing your stress
effectively, the easier it will be to keep unexpected stress from
causing damage in the future.
"The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another." -William James
Luckily,
the plasticity of the brain allows it to mold, change, and rebuild
damaged areas as you practice new behaviors. So implementing healthy
stress-relieving techniques can train your brain to handle stress more
effectively and decrease the likelihood of ill effects from stress in
the future.
Here are seven strategies to help you fix your brain and keep your stress under control:
1. Say No
Research
conducted at the University of California, San Francisco, shows that
the more difficulty that you have saying no, the more likely you are to
experience stress, burnout, and even depression. Saying no is indeed a
major challenge for many people. "No" is a powerful word that you should
not be afraid to wield. When it's time to say no, avoid phrases such as
"I don't think I can" or "I'm not certain." Saying no to a new
commitment honors your existing commitments and gives you the
opportunity to successfully fulfill them.
2. Disconnect
Technology
enables constant communication and the expectation that you should be
available 24/7. It is extremely difficult to enjoy a stress-free moment
outside of work when an email that will change your train of thought and
get you thinking (read: stressing) about work can drop onto your phone
at any moment.
Taking regular time off the grid helps you to keep
your stress under control and to live in the moment. When you make
yourself available to your work 24/7, you expose yourself to a constant
barrage of stressors. Forcing yourself offline and even--gulp!--turning
off your phone gives your body and mind a break. Studies have shown that
something as simple as a weekend e-mail break can lower stress levels.
If
detaching yourself from work-related communication on weekday evenings
is too big a challenge, then how about the weekend? Choose blocks of
time where you will cut the cord and go offline. You'll be amazed by how
refreshing these breaks are and how they reduce stress by putting a
mental recharge into your weekly schedule.
If you are worried
about the negative repercussions of taking this step, try first doing it
at times you are unlikely to be contacted--maybe Sunday morning. As you
grow more comfortable with this, and as your coworkers begin to accept
the time you spend offline, gradually expand the amount of time you
spend away from technology.
3. Neutralize Toxic People
Dealing
with difficult people is frustrating, exhausting, and highly stressful
for most. You can control your interactions with toxic people by keeping
your feelings in check. When you need to confront a toxic person,
approach the situation rationally. Identify your own emotions and don't
allow anger or frustration to fuel the chaos. Also, consider the
difficult person's standpoint and perspective so that you can find
solutions and common ground. Even when things completely derail, you can
take the toxic person with a grain of salt to avoid letting him or her
bring you down.
4. Don't Hold Grudges
The
negative emotions that come with holding onto a grudge are actually a
stress response. Just thinking about the event sends your body into
fight-or-flight mode, a survival mechanism that forces you to stand up
and fight or run for the hills when faced with a threat. When the threat
is imminent, this reaction is essential to your survival, but when the
threat is ancient history, holding onto that stress wreaks havoc on your
body and can have devastating health consequences over time. In fact,
researchers at Emory University have shown that holding onto stress
contributes to high blood pressure and heart disease. Holding onto a
grudge means you're holding onto stress, and emotionally intelligent
people know to avoid this at all costs. Letting go of a grudge not only
makes you feel better now but can also improve your health.
5. Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness
is a simple, research-supported form of meditation that is an effective
way to gain control of unruly thoughts and behaviors. People who
practice mindfulness regularly are more focused, even when they are not
meditating. It is an excellent technique to help reduce stress because
it allows you to reduce the feeling of being out of control.
Essentially, mindfulness helps you stop jumping from one thought to the
next, which keeps you from ruminating on negative thoughts. Overall,
it's a great way to make it through your busy day in a calm and
productive manner.
6. Put Things In Perspective
Our
worries often come from our own skewed perception of events. So before
you spend too much time dwelling on what your boss said during the last
staff meeting, take a minute to put the situation in perspective. If you
aren't sure when you need to do this, try looking for clues that your
anxiety may not be proportional to the stressor. If you are thinking in
broad sweeping statements like "
Everything is going wrong" or "
Nothing will
work out" then you need to reframe the situation. A great way to
correct this unproductive thought pattern is to list the specific things
that actually are going wrong or not working out. Most likely you will
come up with just one or two things--not
everything. The key to
keeping your cool is to remember that your feelings are exaggerating
the situation and the scope of the stressor is much more limited than it
might appear.
7. Use Your Support System
It's
tempting, yet entirely ineffective, to attempt tackling everything by
yourself. To be calm and productive you need to recognize your
weaknesses and ask for help when you need it. This means tapping into
your support system when a situation is challenging enough for you to
feel overwhelmed.
Everyone has someone at work and/or outside work
who is on their team, rooting for them, and ready to help them get the
best from a difficult situation. Identify these individuals in your life
and make an effort to seek their insights and assistance when you need
it. Something as simple as talking about your worries will provide an
outlet for your anxiety and stress and supply you with a new perspective
on the situation. Most of the time, other people can see a solution
that you can't because they are not as emotionally invested in the
situation. Asking for help will mitigate your anxiety and strengthen
your relationships with those you rely upon.
Bringing It All Together
As
simple as these strategies may seem, they are difficult to implement
when your mind is clouded with stress. Force yourself to attempt them
the next time your head is spinning, and you'll reap the benefits that
come with disciplined stress management.
How do you manage
stress? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below as I
learn just as much from you as you do from me.
By: Travis Bradberry
Comments
Post a Comment
Welcome.......
What are you thinking of....!!