4 Steps To Manage Stress
Have you ever felt overwhelmed with the responsibilities of work, home, and/or business?
Living in a constant state of high stress can be very bad for the health. A little stress can be good because it can help us to function at a higher level of performance. However, having too much stress can take a toll on our bodies physically, as well as mentally. I have 6 steps that I use to help me to manage my stress and maintain my cool as I juggle the many responsibilities of the week.
1) Decide On Your Priorities & Then Set Your Priorities
This is a basic yet fundamental principle of stress management. We must DECIDE on what our priorities are in our lives. Many times we have our lists of “to-dos'”, tasks, and assignments filled with items that are not major priorities. These are what I call “time wasters”. These are the items that we may desire to do, but are not required for us to do in order to have a successful day or week. Therefore, it’s important to decide on what are your top priority items are so that you do not waste any time. Once you have decided, then you must set them in the order of importance. Setting our priorities makes us intentional about being productive and stress free. The more we decide and set our priorities, the better our day will go.
2) Write It Out And Schedule It Out
The feeling of being overwhelmed and stressed out is sometimes a result of having too much on your mind. Therefore, write it down your priorities on paper or on some type of list that you can keep up with. You will find a things-to-do-list much easier to manage than having errands all up in your head. Writing down the tasks, and putting a specific schedule and time to do them, helps anyone manage activities one chunk at a time. Crossing out an activity that has already been accomplished is very rewarding and could actually help you feel more relaxed when doing the other tasks at hand.
3) Relax And Take It One Day At A Time
Remember to relax and take it one day at a time. You can only do so much within one day. You are not a super hero. You are a human being with natural abilities. It was never meant for you to be perfect. Sometimes our stress comes from the pressures we put on ourselves. Be intentional about relaxing. Spend time, even if it is as little as 5 minutes, during your breaks, during lunch time, or at home, reflecting on positive thoughts. Think about the good things in your life. This will reduce your stress and allow for your to enjoy the moments of the day.
4) Reward Yourself
Acknowledging your accomplishments no matter how big or small, is an effort that is necessary before getting on to the next tasks and activities. It reduces stress and could even make you happier in doing the next task. Also, it is really easy to spend your time in the future, thinking about how wonderful life will be when you finally complete your task or goal. However, usually when we get there, there are no celebrations because we are on to the next “thing to do.” By giving yourself a reward (something that doesn’t cost anything is the best reward!) you acknowledge where you are at, that you have completed another step. And when you get to your final destination success tastes sweet!
Each of us have a many responsibilities to manage, but if we use these tools we should be able to manage our stress better.
