How to Get Ahead of Stress Before It Overwhelms You

Thrive’s founder and CEO Arianna Huffington often says: “Stress is inevitable, but cumulative stress is avoidable.” And since we all have days where our to-do list is a mile long and we feel completely in over our heads, it’s important to arm ourselves with tools to get ahead of the stress before it becomes cumulative and leads to burnout.

Here are some strategies to try;

1. Plan your day the night before- Before bed, I close my eyes and visualize what I want my next day to be. I then write out a complete list of all the things I need to accomplish. The next day, I wake up open to any new ideas that I need to do that day. ——Dr. Nadine Collins, spiritual wellness coach, speaker, and author, Atlanta, GA
2. Try the 3-3-5 breathing exercise- You simply breathe in through your nose for three counts, hold it in for three counts, and then release it through the mouth for five counts. —Nausheen Saumtally, empowerment speaker and trainer, Toronto, ON, Canada
3. Close your eyes and do a body scan - I make an effort to close my eyes and notice my bodily sensations, especially how my gut and neck feel. By scanning my body, I can take a moment to acknowledge where I’m holding tension, and then take a break when needed. —Anitha Balaraj, executive coach, Chennai, India
4. Focus on the solution, not the problem- When you start focusing on the problem, you get flooded with toxic hormones and chemical reactions. When you focus on the solution, it helps you stay present and look toward the future with hope. —Mary, licensed mental health counselor, FL
5. Carve out breaks in your schedule- I make sure that I leave gaps of time in my scheduled bookings so I can have a little quiet downtime. I’ll make some mint tea, sit quietly and breathe, and play a mindless video game on my phone to give my brain a rest. —Marci Brockmann, author, podcaster, artist, and educator, N.Y.
6. Write out your weekly meetings- Rewriting my schedule on paper allows me to visually find pockets of time I can focus on projects and make time to think strategically. —Amanda, virtual production, Memphis, TN
7. Take a moment to go outside- It always helps me get ahead of stress so it doesn’t overwhelm me down the line. —Natalie Brobin, writer, Oceanside, CA
8. Get a haircut Simply put, it feels like I’m doing something good for myself and taking care of myself. —Kevin Ervin Kelley, AIA, architect, Los Angeles, CA
9. Ask yourself how you’d advise a friend- To get ahead of stress, I ask myself, ‘If I were going to troubleshoot this problem for a friend, what would I suggest?’ This question always helps me reframe. Sometimes simply having a list of a few options helps me become more proactive instead of reactive. It gives me a sense of control when things seem to be sliding sideways —Kristin Meekhof, wellness and Resilience expert and author, Royal Oak, MI
10. Make time for self-care- Maintaining a clear and positive mindset allows for those stressful moments to become more manageable. The main ones for me are meditating, exercise, walking the dog, and reading. All of those rituals help to keep me balanced and give me space to be able to cope better when more complex emotions are challenged. —Amanda Edmanson, primary teacher, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
    

Source; https://thriveglobal.com/stories/how-to-get-ahead-stress-overwhelm-tips/

What I've learnt from this article;

• I've understood that stress is something that most of us feel and it is mostly unavoidable
• I've learnt a few ways to manage the stress before it leads to burnout

#Stress #Self-care #Burnout