The year is fully underway, and it’s important not to let things get overwhelming. When you feel stressed, it’s actually just a discontinuity with what you have to do VS your perception of your ability to do it. I say react, because rarely do you plan for stress – it creeps up on you and grabs you often when you’re in the thrust of life.
Stress occurs when you feel overwhelmed by everything that’s going on, but other factors feed into stress too. For example, you may feel insecure about a task due to a past experience, but you are called upon to do more of it. It may not be an impossible ask, but given you are not feeling confident about it, it can seem overwhelming.
Many other things affect stress. Others around us lashing out – particularly if they are taking it out on us – can impact on our stress levels.
I think it’s important to note that when you’re stressed and feeling uncomfortable, very often the result is attracting more uncomfortable situations to yourself.
Ironically (or perhaps you might have expected this?), the more relaxed you are, the more everything flows. The more highly strung you are feeling, the more you are likely to clash with yourself and everyone around you.
This is why it’s so important to ensure that you find ways to de-stress and feel good – not only does it influence your state right now, but relaxing can have positive implications for every aspect of your life.
It’s tricky because you can also be too relaxed, to the point where you don’t consider scenarios that may occur in order to be prepared. This is the opposite of what you want to achieve, and there is a balance to be had.
The best ways to react when you’re stressed
I’d love to hear your suggestions too, as I think it’s probably different for everyone. The basic foundations are the same though.
Get into the ‘flow’ zone
It’s only recently that I realised fully that I am happiest when I am in the ‘flow’ of something. Although I already knew it in my heart, starting yoga – you can read about it here – actually brought me further into this realisation and made me aware that I really can enjoy the effort of being fully immersed in something, rather than wanting to avoid it because it feels like ‘work’. Getting into a ‘flow’ zone means being 100% focused – to the point where you forget time, and are completely immersed in what you are doing. It’s highly productive and rewarding, and it also means you’ve drowned out other noises in your head – doubt, worry, even happiness, because you’re concentrating fully on the present. It takes practice to get there, but it can occur in many places – at work, doing sport, practicing a hobby or an instrument, when you’re in a conversation with a friend, or even when you’re reading. It’s a truly rewarding place to be, but it’s often compromised – particularly in the modern day – by the constant throes of technology and interruptions.
Plan a future event
Often when you’re in a stressed state, it can be difficult to imagine any other stage. It’s easy to forget mid-week how it felt when you were relaxing on the weekend – and in fact, I recently wrote about overcoming a mid-week work slump. It can be difficult to keep the bigger picture in mind when you’re faced with a seemingly endless period of [insert whatever you're stressed about]. Although you’re living in the moment right now, sometimes it’s important to look at the bigger picture and plan for a future event that thrills you – think holidays, time out with friends, or even a nice long bath with a good book.
Focus on your health and wellbeing
The worst thing you can do when you’re stressed is indulge – whether it be food, wine or even just ‘indulging’ in negativity. When things are getting hard, the best thing you can do is concentrate on doing things that will make you feel good in the long run – not the short-term. If you need a quick fix, the best ways are to schedule your time and get into the ‘flow’ of something you love – whether it be spending time with friends or doing an activity you know you will become immersed in. Over time, you will become better able to handle the difficult and stressful periods when you come out of them feeling healthier and more fulfilled.
What do you do when you’re stressed out?
