Managing Stress

Three Tips to Combat Stress

By: Laura P. Jones, PhD

There’s something about a social disturbance that can stretch and bend the components of our emotions into a meltdown. 

From the disruption of a pandemic lockdown, job loss, and economic uncertainties to the deprivation of the most basic necessity, air to breathe, the pressure from stresses in life can default us to a state of screaming, silently, in our heads, I can’t breathe. 

As life at that moment can feel most hopeless, and the triggers of a fixed-mindset persona easily set in to dominate any thoughts of overcoming, there is not a better time to protest, within ourselves, for the right to grab hold of the fading glimmer of hope dissipating in the despair. 

For any reason, the strength to transform our minds amidst life’s disturbances is a right we owe ourselves, and we can develop such strength even in the face of life’s most stressful and even prolong ordeals. 

Here are three tips to do just that.

Identify the Stressors

Stressors can be people, things, events, or experiences that pose a real or perceive threat either physically, emotionally, or psychologically. Pinpointing them is the first step to managing them. 

Eliminate Whatever is Tiring, Unnecessary, and Unimportant

Creating balance in your life is critical. Find the pieces of life that hold worth and importance to you and focus your time and energy on those things. Whenever possible, isolate yourself from people, things, or events that drain your energy and pursue things that bring you joy and contentment.   

Nurture A Positive Attitude

A positive attitude is a choice. It requires finding the good in situations and directing more focus toward it. In troubled times, doing so might seem an impossible task. However, it is not. Some of the simplest things that are overlooked, can be reasons for gratitude. A focus on these things can bring calmness and help in managing your thoughts, emotions, and behavioral responses in a way that enables overcoming the upheavals from the stresses in life.

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