How to deal with stress?

Stress nowadays seems like a never-ending thing to us. It seems stress is now a part of our lifestyle. It has become so common nowadays that people have started ignoring it, thinking we have to live with it. But we all know Stress is not good, and with the huge amount of stress growing every day, we got to learn how to deal with stress? It is very important to learn this and maintain our inner peace.

The reason why stress is inevitable is mostly that it involves other people. It can be your boss, or your colleagues, or subordinates at work, it could also be your own mother, father, or wife or children at your home – whom you cannot control. It is not in your hand to decide what will they do. They would act as per their understanding/thinking and which may not necessarily align with yours resulting in stress.

There have been many blogs about how to deal with stress which includes things – like exercise, meditation, light a candle, reduce caffeine, go on holiday, etc. but it never helped me and even if they did help me it was temporary. We need a kind of permanent solution to such things. We all, especially me, need a method to deal with stress. We don’t need a temporary solution to forget our stress for a few hours and then deal with it again.

I am always trying to figure out a method or rather a mindset to deal with the humongous amount of stress we deal with at the workplace and in personal life. Sometimes it works wonderfully and sometimes I fail terribly.

So how to deal with stress?

Keep an eye on upcoming stress

Try to know your sources of stress beforehand and be extra cautious with that. If it involves other people try to follow up with them regularly. Most of our stresses are of repetitive nature, we know that it will come or at least we do have faint idea about when it can hit us. Be prepared.

Stop hoping that things will work out automatically. Play on the front foot and be ready to attack then stress won’t be able to get into your head and you can handle the problem with ease.

Try to see the whole picture and optimize

Often we react too quickly. Stop it. Take your time and analyze the situation, think, and then take action. The actions taken in stress are not very helpful. If a problem seems too large to handle, try to broaden your perspective. Take into consideration who all are connected to this problem and what should be the first step to be taken to get the best solution.

Look at the bigger picture, don’t use temporary solutions or distractions to reduce stress. Plan your every step in the direction of getting a fixed permanent solution. The problem might be too small if you will distance yourself from it, but with all the stress your mind won’t be able to solve even the simplest problems.

Be responsive

Ask yourself, will you be able to respond to this problem?

If yes, figure out the best way you can respond to the given situation and act accordingly. Don’t overthink. If the solution expects you to go out of your comfort zone then push yourselves a little. Instead of thinking how can I do this thing? Think if I do this then it might solve the problem. Overthinking just makes you incapable of handling anything. It makes you stagnant. You are not doing anything still you make you worried.

If no, then find someone who can. Don’t overwork yourself for the things you can’t do.

Manage yourself – not stress

Sadhguru often says stress is just your inability to handle any given situation. If you can handle the situation then it won’t give you stress. The problem which is giving you stress could be a piece of cake for another person.

Manage your mindset. Try changing the context of the current situation. Try to look at the positive side of things. When you are joyful you are willing to take up any problem and solve it but if you are stressed even the simple task could become a mountain in front of you.

Be observant

Your net worth is your network. You might have heard this saying in all the different motivational videos or entrepreneurial blog. Surprisingly it is true in this situation too. Try spending time with your mentor or people who you look up to. Silently observe how they handle stress. How they act upon things and how their mind works when they are exposed to a stressful situation. The more people you observe the more understanding you will get about how different people have different ways to deal with it. Pick up the positive parts from everyone and train your brain to follow it.

Note: These might not be the ideal ways to deal with stress for everyone. It’s still a “work in progress” thing – but it can surely help if you understand it. If you are suffering from extensive stress that needs medical attention please get in touch with a professional as soon as possible. Mental health is equally important.