6 Simple Tricks for Dealing with Stress
If you aren’t careful, stress (often manifesting as pressure) can sneak up and overwhelm you. Before you know it, you’re a mess. Sitting in your chair, sweating, heart racing, and dreading the thought of doing any work. Fortunately there are some tricks to dealing with it. With a little practice, you can turn nerve-wracking stress into pure motivation.
Count Backwards
It sounds simple, but counting backwards from 100 is a great way to distract yourself from pressure and reset your mindset. This easy trick is the perfect way to get started doing a task that you’ve been putting off. Simply sit back, close your eyes, and count backwards thinking only of the numbers instead of what is stressing you out.
Meditate
Meditation is an excellent way to relieve stress according to numerous medical studies. Clearing your mind from all thought and concentrating on your breathing leaves no room in your head to fixate and focus on what’s bothering you. Learning to meditate is one of the best ways to beat chronic stress and overwhelming pressure that there is.
Exercise
Nothing works like exercise when it comes to dealing with pressure. Not only does the act itself take your mind off of whatever is stressing you out, it also helps your brain to release positive endorphins that can make you feel great. People who exercise regularly report feeling less stress and pressure at work and at home.
Believe in Yourself
Positive thinking can be one of the most powerful tools at your disposal. The simple act of believing in yourself and knowing that you’re doing your best is a great way to turn pressure into motivation. The next time you’re faced with overwhelming pressure, tell yourself that you can do it. Whatever tasks lay before you, think positively about them and envision yourself completing them.
Enjoy What You Do
It never hurts to enjoy what you do, although this can be a difficult way of dealing with pressure. Look for the little things in the task that you like doing and complete them. You’ll find that once you start working you’re motivated to keep going. People who enjoy their jobs report feeling less pressure and higher levels of motivation than those who don’t like what they do for a living.
Stand Up and Take a Break
If nothing else is working, then stand up and take a break. Taking 5 minutes for yourself every hour is a great way to reset and refocus on the task at hand. Studies have shown that people who socialize at work, or even just stand up and stretch their legs, get more done than those who sit at their desk worrying over the task at hand.
What are your favorite ways of dealing with stress? I like to take my dog for a walk somewhere where I have to drive to get there. I drive a bit while playing some happy songs from my playlist really loud and singing along, which makes me happy. My dog is happy because she is driving with her head out the window. When we arrive at our destination, we go for a walk and I get to just enjoy some fresh air and talk to the dog and not think about what was giving me stress. On the way home, more music and singing for me and more window time for the dog. By the time I get back, I’m usually in a much better frame of mind to deal with whatever was stressing me out.
Have a wonderful, stress-free week!
Barb