Stress can come at you from all directions. There are things you can control and things you cannot. You may not be able to change a particular situation, but you can change the way you choose to cope with it.
There are three psychological factors that aid with increasing your ability to deal with stress more effectively. Keeping these key ideas in mind may be helpful:
- Predictability – previous experience helps to predict outcome, try to focus on what you can accurately anticipate. Think of a similar situation and how you handled it then.
- Control – maintain a sense of control by trying to manage what you can, keep in mind, that you have no control over others and how they respond. Control your own emotions and behaviors and adapt to changing situations, this can help to ward off feeling helpless.
- Optimism (not the same as positive thinking) – recognize that the situation is not personal, don’t internalize it, and realize that it is not permanent.
Seek support, isolating yourself from others and keeping things to yourself is not helpful when you are feeling overwhelmed. Trying to go it alone is typically unrealistic.
- Cultivate allies – having just one friend, family member, or co-worker who is willing to give you a hand to help lighten your load in times of stress will reduce your level of tension.
- Find humor in the situation – when you and others start taking things too seriously, find a way to break through with laughter, share a joke or a funny story.
- Talk things out – tell a trusted friend, family member, co-worker, or a supervisor, someone who has been supportive in the past and who cares about you. Talk things out with yourself, or write about it in a journal or seek professional help.
Take care of your physical and emotional health. It is difficult to adequately manage stress when you are not well. Poor health ultimately causes more stress in your life. During times of less stress make it a goal to kick a dysfunctional habit that comprises your health such as smoking, overeating, gambling, procrastinating and worrying.