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Tips for Coping With Stress
“Stress is the body’s way of telling us that we have lost touch with our bold and courageous self,” says Dr Gluckman, a leadership consultant who believes that stress is a wake-up call that offers the opportunity to discover their true personal purpose and power. “The very first step necessary for us to be able to reframe a situation we have labeled as negative is to ask ourselves the following questions…”
1. What is the most positive and desirable outcome that I can see? It’s best to write this down in as much detail as possible, says Dr Gluckman. Creating a positive and inspiring vision gives us a sense of hope. When we create an inspiring vision, we’ll automatically feel better. This picture of the positive outcome causes our bodies to secrete endorphins (natural anti-depressants). So, an effective stress relief tip is to visualize how you hope the situation will be resolved.
2. Say to yourself: This is happening for a reason. And the reason is that it is offering me an opportunity to do something that could enhance my life. During a stressful time, you may not see the possibilities – but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist.
3. Tell yourself how grateful you are that this is happening. If it did not happen, you wouldn’t have this opportunity to enhance your life. Changing how you think about unfavorable circumstances is valuable way to cope with stress.
5 Ways to Make the Best of a Bad Situation
Good stress is anything that you find challenging. Good stress stretches you to a higher level of functioning. Taking a public speaking course, for example, is good stress because it teaches you to take risks and become confident with speaking in front of others. Trying a new form of exercise is another example of good stress.
Here are five ways to turn bad stress into good stress.
1. Visualization. Dr Gluckman advises that you create a vision of the best outcome you would love to make happen. The best way to do this is to get a pile of old magazines, a project sheet, scissors and glue. Go to your favorite quiet spot. Go through the magazines and cut out pictures and words (but mostly pictures) that depict the kind of desired outcome you would love to make happen. Glue these onto the project sheet so that they tell an inspiring story. Then plan how you can achieve this. This is an effective stress relief tip because it gives you a feeling of control and power.
2. Thought swapping. Every time a negative thought comes up in your mind, say to yourself ‘No!’ and consciously replace that thought with thoughts about the inspirational vision you have created and how good you will feel when you achieve this. This reduces stress because it teaches you to think positively.
3. Exercise. Moving your body is a great tip for coping with stress. Though it’s probably the last thing you feel like doing when you’re stressed, it’s important to force yourself! Choose the kind of exercise you like best – preferably something aerobic, which releases endorphins which reduces the stress. Dr Gluckman says that it’s important to consciously decide on a form of exercise that you like and then push yourself to do this every time you feel stressed. If you are at the office, find a creative way to take 10 minutes away from your desk to do some form of exercise.
4. Talk to someone you can trust but make it a rule that you do not focus on the negatives. Tell the story and then immediately move to sharing your vision for the best outcome and brainstorm the best options you have for making this desired outcome a reality. Dr Gluckman advises not choosing someone to speak to who will nurture your bad feelings and encourage you to tell and retell the negative aspects of the story. To turn bad stress into good stress, stop focusing on the negatives.
5. Choose an intellectual activity that you love doing and which helps you become involved in something other than yourself. Reading, writing, crossword puzzles, and work projects can all reduce stress by taking your focus off yourself.
