How to manage stress in a frantic world
At times, life can seem a bit chaotic. One minute we’re clear-headed, full of energy, and completely in control. The next, we’re stressed, frazzled and ready to snap.
Our mindset can have a huge impact on our well-being and general health, so learning how to manage it can make a big difference in our lives.
Control how you respond
Life can throw us all kinds of curveballs. Regardless of how well we may have planned for the unexpected, dealing with uncertainty and last minute hiccups can throw us off balance.
But while we can’t completely control our life and the people in it, we can learn to control how we respond in different circumstances. How we perceive an event and react to it can make the world of difference to our well-being.
We cannot control what the world throws at us, but we can control our response.
If someone cuts us off at the traffic lights, we don’t have to get angry. Instead, we can take a deep breath and choose to respond a little differently.
We can say something to ourselves like, “Someone just cut me off, but I was able to avoid an accident because of my driving skills. Nothing serious happened. What a great driver I am.”
Perhaps a stretch :), but I’d prefer to start the day feeling chuffed at my driving skills, rather than angry and tense.
But it’s definitely not easy. When our reactions get the better of us, we can quickly spiral out of control.
A few weeks ago, I had a minor procedure scheduled. I’d had this procedure done a few times before, and each time I’d been in and out in under an hour. 90 minutes total, door to door.
Stefan was looking after our daughter, Naomi, while I was away.
I sat in the waiting room for over an hour. I only had a two-hour parking spot, and Stefan had an appointment scheduled shortly after. I started to get restless.
With a parking ticket looming and a potential missed appointment at stake, I decided to query the wait.
I was ushered to a different waiting room, only to be told I wasn’t on “the list”. Oh, and the doctor wasn’t at the hospital at that moment.
Cue stress.
And did I tell you I didn’t have my phone with me, to keep Stefan in the loop?
Cue more stress.
Tense, agitated and frazzled, I waited for the nurse to investigate. Turns out the doctor was away tending to an emergency, and was about an hour away.
Once I understood the situation a little better, I managed to settle myself down. And thankfully, I started to think straight again.
I used the time to move my car, grab my phone, and let Stefan know what was going on. And eventually I relaxed and caught up on the news while I waited.
Imagine how different my experience would’ve been if I’d been more on top of my reactions. I didn’t have to become stressed and anxious. I could have calmly queried the wait. I could have asked a nurse to update Stefan. I could have used the wait to do some deep breathing or lose myself in a tacky magazine.
“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing, the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances.”
Practice self-awareness
One of the best ways to take back control of our reactions is to practice self-awareness.
When things are going less than smoothly, or even when we feel like we’re on a dream run, asking ourselves “why” is a good place to start.
Why am I feeling stressed? Why am I feeling angry? Why am I feeling flat? Why am I feeling motivated? Why am I feeling excited?
This simple technique is about reflecting and getting to know ourselves better, and then using that to our advantage.
It’s about learning to say, “Okay. If I’m in this exact situation tomorrow or next week or next year, what could I do differently so I could walk away feeling less stress and more in control?”
At the hospital, I forgot I was in charge of how I respond to the world.
Choose your response, and stay in control.
Tanya Dooney