How to have less stress in 5 steps.

Hi readers! It is time to talk about how to stress less. Stress is a major problem in our modern world. There is little to separate us from the swirling winds of difficulty these days. Whether it is work emails, social media, or family, our stressors can find us now easier than ever, but that doesn’t mean we can’t do anything about it.

Let’s discuss.

Become stress aware!

I can hear the moans from here.

“Thanks, doc.”

“I will be sure and try that.”

I mean that is why you are here, right? You are stressed and looking for options on how to reduce it. On the surface, that seems like a no kidding suggestion, but hear me out.

Like so many things in our lives, stress becomes a habit. Not like we ever wanted it to be, but here it is.

Looking at you Facebook app.

Patterns get built into our brains (for very good reasons) but, sometimes, those patterns aren’t helpful to our overall happiness, well-being, performance, etc.

It’s like the saying goes, the first step in solving a problem is recognizing that there is one.

And stress is a significant problem. Look at this:

Stress: What It Costs U.S. Economy

Understand Stress as a Habit.

Ok. Let’s start to get into the weeds.

I mentioned habits earlier and stress is one of those unintentional habits that gets installed into our brains. Your brain wants to do as little work as it can.

Because it’s lazy(ish).

It does this so it can process all the information we are constantly surrounded by. If we didn’t have these preprogrammed ways of doing things, we would probably lock up like a 1995 Windows PC.

It’s important here to say this, habits are nothing more than built-in neural pathways. Built-in. If it can be built, then it can be unbuilt.

Develop a Why.

This is important. In sales, they call this a pain point. A pain point is what the salesperson is trying to solve to get you to buy something. The good news here is you already want to buy. You just need a reason.

You're why is personal to you. What do you get out of being less stressed? What is worth forcing your brain to engage in learning a new habit?

Make it good. If you are angry when you are stressed, are you disappointing someone with that anger? How does that feel? Maybe stress makes it impossible to sleep. Imagine living the rest of your life with that problem.

Your why is going to be your driving factor to do all the next steps.

Action.

We picked our Why to get us here. This is where we start experimenting with different methods to help us reduce stress. The internet is full of these!

So here is a list:

18 Effective Stress Relief Strategies

All the strategies on this list are helpful, and a great place to start learning how to ease off the stress button. The most helpful item on the list is the last one. Eliminate the stressor.

The most helpful but often the most difficult to do.

So what if you can’t get rid of your stressor? Let’s explore two techniques that can help change the way a situation is hurting you.

Watch the whole movie.

Weird name, I know, but I don’t name these things.

The idea here is to think through what is stressing you and see what happens if you keep going as you are. Is stress hurting your relationships? Are you angry all the time? Is it hurting your health?

Watching the whole movie helps you see the bigger picture of your life and not stay stuck in the stress cycle.

And it works well with #2.

Understand the source.

Unhealthy stress is not a mystery. It is the body's natural response to a difficult circumstance. When encountering something scary or difficult the mind/body system reacts the same way, every time.

Especially when it becomes a habit.

Look for what is really driving the stress. Is your job on the line? Relationship ending? Afraid of being judged by others?

…and when you understand that ask this question. What happens if that happens?

What would happen if you lost your job? Yes, it might be difficult, but have you ever experienced difficult things before? Are you 100% sure it wouldn’t be a good thing?

When you understand the source, you are able, to be honest with yourself and take the power away from what is making you miserable.

Repeat

It is as simple as that. Learn to understand when you are stressed, understand that stress is a habit that can be broken, build your reason to work against stress, and use your preferred action plan. Over and over and over again. Stress is a natural part of life and will not go away.

At least until you hit the Powerball.

Learning how to manage stress can lead to a happier, healthier, and longer life. By using these steps you will have the chance to gain the upper hand on stress and make your life what you want it to be.

Don't risk your life another day! I am counseling Amarillo on how to have less stress and live happier, healthier lives. Let's talk!

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