TMS #039: Take Control of Your Stress

Read time: 4 minutes

Stress is a natural response to demands. It's how your body prepares for a situation requiring more energy and a sharper mind. Stress can be good for you, but if it lasts too long, it can hurt your health, relationships, and mental and emotional well-being.

In this article I show you why you get stressed out and what you can do about it.

1. Find out where your stress is coming from

Stress can come from many different places and it’s important to understand where it is coming from so you can start taking control of it.

Stress can be caused by our inner selves, such as our thoughts and actions. Your mind can cause us a lot of stress if you're not careful. If you keep telling yourself things like "I have too much work" or "I'm going to fail this test," these negative thoughts will make you feel overwhelmed and stressed.

Sometimes it's not your thoughts or deeds that stress you but your environment. Some examples:

• When you're stuck in traffic on the way home from work every day.

• When someone always makes fun of you at school because they think you are weird.

• When your parents fight all the time.

All these things add up over time until they become too much for you.

2. Identify what you can do to reduce your stress levels

There are several ways you can reduce your stress levels. Some people find it helpful to be more organized. Others find that avoiding certain people or situations helps them feel less overwhelmed. You can also think about what makes you feel stressed and try to avoid those things as much as you can.

List all the things that cause you stress. Then rank them from most annoying/difficult (1) to less annoying/difficult (4). Look at each item on this list and ask yourself what you could do so as not to cause so much annoyance and difficulty.

For example: If someone's constant complaining makes you feel stressed out, could you just ignore them instead? If there are no ways to change the situation itself (e.g., you can't change where you live or who lives nearby), focus instead on changing how YOU react when these events occur.

Take some deep breaths or counting backward from 10 until you are calm again before reacting emotionally rather than impulsively. I teach you a quick deep breathing exercise in step 6.

3. Cut things that make your stress worse

To reduce your stress levels, you must eliminate everything that makes it worse. Don't just avoid those things. End them from your life entirely.

This might seem like a tall order and a lot of work, but it's quite simple:

• Focus on what you can control, not on what you can't control.

• Don't worry about your future or dwell on your past. Instead, pay attention to what's going on right now.

• Don't let people who make themselves unhappy by thinking about things they can't change ruin your mood by letting them into your head too often (or at all).

4. Make time for yourself every day

You should also make time for yourself every day. This is important because it will help you to relax and unwind from the stress of your daily life. Taking time out of your busy schedule will be challenging, but there are many ways to do this. Again, some examples:

• Go for a walk in nature

• Meditate or do yoga

• Listen to music that relaxes you

5. Give yourself a reality check

It's essential to take a step back and look at the situation. This can be as simple as taking a deep breath. Or it might involve getting away from your desk and walking. Feeling worried and overwhelmed makes it easy to get caught up in all the little things around you.

Take some time to check your options before diving into action. Remember: sometimes doing nothing is actually the right thing!

Check what has been working well so far. Then consider what else needs to be done and how long it would take to do it well without making things worse or causing more stress.

6. Deep breathing

In this step, we're going to practice deep breathing.

Sit comfortably and close your eyes.

Take a long breath in through your nose for four counts (1-2-3-4) and hold it for four counts (5-6-7-8).

Finally, slowly exhale through pursed lips for four counts (9-10-11-12).

Repeat this process 10 times before moving on to the next step.

7. Mindfulness meditation

Mindfulness meditation is a practice that helps you to focus on the present moment. It's about awareness of what is happening around you and within your body, mind, and emotions.

It involves...

• focusing on your breathing,

• paying attention to any physical sensations (such as tightness in your chest or butterflies in your stomach),

• noticing thoughts that come up, and

• letting them go without judging them as good or bad.

You can also include thoughts about what's happening at work or home or how someone treated you earlier today.

Make sure not to get lost in rumination! The point is to notice these things without getting caught up in them so much that they take over your whole day.

8. Progressive muscle relaxation

Progressive muscle relaxation is a simple technique that can help you relax. It involves tensing and relaxing your muscles. Start with your toes and work your way up to your head:

• Tense the muscles in one leg for about five seconds.

• Then relax those same muscles for at least 10 seconds before moving on to another body part (e.g., right arm).

• Repeat this process until you tensed and relaxed all major muscle groups at least once or twice each (i.e., if two sets of shoulder muscles exist, they should both be tensed twice).

The technique is simple but can be tough to do. Especially when you start, it may be challenging to tense and relax your muscles for a few seconds each time. Yet, with practice, this will become easier.

Conclusion

We all have different ways of coping with stress. Some people like to exercise, while others prefer meditation or yoga. But no matter which method works best for you, you must find one. If you're feeling stressed out, try some of these techniques today. You'll be surprised at how much better you feel in just a few minutes. And the more often you do them, the better your results will be!

Keep Evolving,

Christian Founder - Mindtutorial
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TL;DR

Take Control of Your Stress Today: 8 Steps to Reduce Overwhelm

1. Identify the source of stress

2. Find ways to reduce stress

3. Eliminate stress-inducing factors

4. Schedule daily self-care time

5. Assess the situation and reality-check

6. Practice deep breathing

7. Try mindfulness meditation

8. Use progressive muscle relaxation

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