This is probably one of the hardest articles that I've written, simply because stress is highly personable and there are so many different external factors that can influence the stress-state; however with this being said, when in that state there are some quick and easy things that you can do.
The effectiveness of these will be determined on where you are at the given time within your stress strategy - for example you've identified you're stressed, so take the appropriate action at this point. Remember you're perfectly normal and just because you're stressed right at that exact moment doesn't mean that you're going to be stress in the next.
5 Quick Things To Do When You're Feeling Stressed:
1.Identification - identifying that you're stressed is a great starting point, firstly as it allows you the ability to take action. If you fail to identify it then you're simply unable to make any headway and do something about it. If you have failed to identify it in the past then write down a few triggers / identifiers that would indicate when you're at this stage - for example; "snappy at a loved one".
2.Acceptance - once you've identified that you're stressed then it's time to just accept it, you're here and now you have to deal with it. Avoid burying your head in the sand in the hope that it's going to improve without any conscious thought, because it won't - have the attitude that you've got it and you're going to deal with it.
3.Reaction - how you react at this stage will determine how quickly you de-stress and are able to move on. Your reaction is ultimately your behaviour and how you interpret that situation, environment or event. This stress state is influenced by your interpretation, likely on your past and will massively affect the behaviour displayed. If you're reacting in a negative manner then stop, breathe, take some time out and regain a positive interpretation.
4.Resolution - this is where you work to ensure that it doesn't happen again; ask yourself this; "what can I do right now to ensure that this doesn't happen again?"
5.Movement - once you have the answer to the question above, then you can start to implement some positive movement. Moving forward, not only requires forgiveness but also positive intention; set yourself some clear goals on what you would like to do and how you would like to see yourself in just a few months.
To summarise, stress is a naturally occurring state - use it to your advantage and take the action needed to ensure that you are constantly releasing, recovering and revitalising your life. The next time you notice yourself becoming stressed follow the 5 steps given above.
Image from Shutterstock