To be successful in life is to have a peaceful and long existence. We can achieve this by understanding how to manage and be proactive from our everyday stress. Not only will stress management help improve your quality of life, but it can also improve your overall well-being.
Most of us have experienced pressure and stress at various times in our lives, whether that be from finances, work, relationships, or all three. To be able to fully understand your stressors, what causes them, and how to manage them depends on the person, but can mostly be recognizable as resilience. It’s important to remember that managing stress does not equal to applying calming strategies at the end of a hard day like a bandaid. Managing stress takes hard work and is something you must practice daily.
Causes of Stress
Stress is not an illness, but can cause some serious damage if it isn’t addressed. To get a better understanding, learn the common causes of your stress so that you can try to prevent it in the future. Typically, the most common causes of stress are:
Being under lots of pressure
Big changes in your life
Not having control over a situation
Having overwhelming responsibilities
Experiencing discrimination, hate, or abuse
Going through a period of uncertainty
Knowing Yourself and Your Stressors
To truly be preventative and proactive from everyday stress, you must first know what those stressors are. Feeling anxious and tense all day is not normal, and there is usually something that is causing this tension. When you go about your day, what are your stress signs? These can include poor sleep, low energy, headaches, anger, etc. Ask yourself in those moments what could be the cause of the stress. It could be having no time in the day to get everything done, or taking on too much responsibility at work. Being able to pinpoint exactly what's bothersome will make it easier to be proactive in the future.
Improve Your Resilience Mindset
Resilience is key to preventing stress. Being resilient involves developing positive behaviors and affirmations to allow you to be better equipped at handling the ups and downs of a normal day. Always saying things like “I have the worst boss,” or “My husband can never do anything right,” is not helpful. Instead, focus on the positives and incorporate some calming practices like daily exercise or journaling. People who develop resilience and incorporate self-care into their routines tend to handle stress better, as it is part of their daily schedule.
Get Support
Talking through your issues may be the key to tackling your stress. Attend a stress management group or class to gain an outside perspective. These should help you identify the causes of your stress and how to develop coping techniques. If you would rather do one-on-one, speak with a professional. It is always better to talk about your anxieties and stresses sooner rather than later, so that you can work to be preventive.
Source: Health Scotland (2023) What to Do if You Are Struggling with Stress
Source: James Porter (2019) Proactive Stress Management