A Plan For Managing Stress
The first step to managing stress is to identify the type and level of each particular stressor. This will allow you to devise a personalized plan for managing that particular type or level of stress.
Eventually, we all have to deal with some form of pressure in one way or another, whether it be at work, school, home or any combination of the three. Unfortunately, when harsh deadlines and demanding jobs are coupled with problems at home caused by debt and family strife (to name but a few), even the most confident individual may experience periods where they feel overwhelmed and stressed out beyond their breaking point. Here are some tips for managing stress under pressure, which I have found to work well for me.
1) Identify the type and level of each particular stressor.
I mentioned this above, but it bears repeating: we all experience our own unique mix of pressure in varying degrees at different times. The key is to identify what the specific type and level of pressure you're feeling at the moment is, so that you can devise a personalized plan for dealing with that particular type or level of stress. The more you learn about yourself, your everyday habits and patterns of behavior, the more effective a plan you'll be able to develop.
I have found that there are essentially two different types of stress: "good stress" and "bad stress." The more you become aware of your own body and mind, the more easily you will be able to tell the difference between the two.
Good Stress: This type of stress is usually a result of a challenge that arises suddenly in your life which, although difficult at first, can ultimately be beneficial because it stimulates you to learn something new. This kind of stress is often accompanied by a sense of nervous energy and excitement; if you experience these feelings, chances are the challenge at hand is one that can only help make you stronger in the long run.
Bad Stress: This type of stress is usually a result of a challenge that arises suddenly in your life which, although difficult at first, can ultimately be detrimental to your well-being because it wears you down and distracts you from doing things you enjoy or being productive.
2) Develop coping mechanisms.
Once you have identified the type(s) of stress that are bothering you, try analyzing the situation by thinking about the following questions: What am I worried about? Don't be afraid to be honest with yourself here! Sometimes we are unaware of what it is we are actually worrying about until we take some time to reflect on it.
Conclusion: If you are having problems with too much bad stress in your life, then try to identify the source of the problem and develop coping mechanisms that will help you relieve your stress.
If you want to learn more strategies for dealing with bad stress, check out my article on 4 Ways To Burn Off Stress
3) Make a plan.
Once you have identified what is bothering you and why, try creating a two or three stage plan that you can use to deal with these issues as they arise.