From speeding our aging process to ruining our relationships, stress is never healthy. Poor stress-coping mechanisms will only lead to frustration and often leads to ugly consequences. Ultimately, it will imperil your personal growth and stun your progress. There’s no one way to deal with stress, but several studies have found effective ways to deal with them. Here are some of the ways to deal with stress and ultimately be a better person.
1. Don’t let people control your feelings and emotions.
You will always find yourself in difficult situations, which will require you to interact with frustrating and unyielding people. The secret lies not in trying to argue with them incessantly, but in controlling your own reaction. Sometimes, there’s really nothing you can do about the situation. Your cause of frustration might be what’s in the news or a mean remark told to your friend—either way, you have no direct control over the situation. What you can do, instead, is to accept the situation and not letting it evoke a negative emotion in you.
2. Be more grateful.
This is what most people fail to realize: that there’s always a reason to be grateful. Being negative will only affect your mental and physical state. Instead, be more grateful. Gratitude can be found in the smallest things. Are you physically healthy? Do you have a supportive group of friends? Does your family never fail to support you? All these, and more, are reasons to be grateful.
3. Relax, and take a deep breath.
In the midst of all the activities that you have to finish in a day, you may realize that you’re forgetting to take care of yourself. When this happens, take a deep breath—and relax. There are several effective relaxation techniques that will help you refocus and rejuvenate your body and spirit, including meditation. You can also start exploring a hobby you’ve always wanted to try. Taking periodic breaks in between to watch your favorite TV show or take breathing exercises is an excellent way to relax.
4. Look at the situation from a larger perspective.
The truth is that things aren’t always as bad as they seem. Whenever you’re frustrated with a failure or two, take a step back and you’ll realize that, generally speaking, things are going well. Ask yourself as well if the problem will matter five to ten years from now. And if the answer is no, then don’t waste your time dwelling on it.