Are you ready to give your stress the boot? It’s not as difficult to deal with stress as you might think, and the single best place to start is to handle the ‘small things’ because these are exactly the kind of things that can turn into big mental monsters over the long term. Please, please, please try not to get stressed over small stuff. If you are bothered by every little thing that does not go your way, you will rapidly find that you will become overwhelmed in your life. Take a breather, and a metaphorical ‘step back’ from the situation at hand and ask yourself the question ‘will this scenario even bother me in 6 months time?’ If the answer is ‘no’ then just forget about it. Easier said than done, I know, but you must try!
Its a good idea to categorize your stress. Put your stress into two categories - things you can control, and those that are outside the realm of your influence. If you do have control over a situation sit down and write out an action plan to deal with it (this in itself should make you feel much better). If you cannot control it, then just leave it alone, and have faith that whatever happens will be for the best. After all, its out of your control right, so why worry?
We are all so busy doing things for other people, and getting stressed in the process, that we rarely take time out to look after ourselves. It’s really important that you take some time out of your schedule every day (even if it’s only 20 minutes) to do something you personally or enjoy. Maybe go to the driving range and hit a few balls, or take a nice long sauna at the gym. The point is that you need to start being ‘kind’ to yourself every day. Believe me, this is a great way of reducing stress levels and improving your self esteem at the same time! Another activity that you might want to consider doing at weekends and holidays is hiking and camping. Its great to get back to nature and get all that lovely fresh air in your lungs, and it can be a great way of reducing stress and recharging your batteries.
Another great tip that a good friend of mine shared with me is to literally take one thing at a time. Multi-tasking may seem like a great way of getting more done in less time, but it rarely works this way. Look at your ‘to-do’ list, put them in priority order and then literally tick off each on in turn. Only focus on the single task at hand. This has the effect of reducing your stress levels, and it also leads to improved performance on the task in hand!
I’m conscious that I’ve thrown yet another load of tips and hints at you. Remember that you don’t have to apply them all at once. Just try one out at a time for a few weeks and see if they have a positive impact on your stress levels and your general well-being. Remember that stress comes in good and bad forms- some stress is good for you… Just make sure that it doesn’t get out of hand. I wish you the best of luck!