There are plenty of anxiety and stress management techniques. Few of these techniques focus on prevention by addressing the REAL causes of stress.
Few other ways to relieve stress involve taking steps to alleviate the physical and emotional symptoms of stress.
The stress tips that focus on prevention are the ones that are more important, because of the long-term nature of their benefit. As they say, the key to reducing stress is to prevent it. And the key to prevent it is to take stock of how we feel about things, and how we react to them.
STRESS MANAGEMENT RULE 1: NO NEGATIVITY
The first and probably the most important rule for dealing with stress is to control negativity arising out of another person’s words or actions (or inaction).
This is also perhaps the most difficult of the stress management techniques to follow, but the return is maximum in terms of providing long-term stress relief.
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO ELIMINATE NEGATIVITY FROM YOUR LIFE?
- Whenever you catch yourself being critical of, or thinking negative of another person, a circumstance, or even yourself, pull yourself up short, and ask yourself: “Is this just a negative reaction from my side? Can I take up the challenge to control it?”.
- Negativity on yourself is a sure sign of low self esteem as well.
- Use that situation as a challenge to see if you could give it a positive spin, or at the very least, curb the negativity that arises. We run into plenty of such opportunities in our daily lives.
- Upset or angry over some one’s actions (or inaction)?Put yourself in their shoes to understand why they did or didn’t do it. Realize you cannot always change others. Change yourself by learning to see other person’s point of view.
- Feel insulted by what the other person said?You probably have won the battle already, because by needing to insult you, the other person has put his weakness on display. Now win the war, by ignoring that weakness and moving on.
- Subjected to a joke you didn’t like?Laugh at it with others. Maybe they did it because they like you, or they didn’t realize it would hurt you. Give them the benefit of doubt. And learn to laugh at yourself.
- Is the next person doing better than you in any regard?Good for them. And good for you, because he has shown you it can be done. Chances are you can figure out your own ways to duplicate his success, by putting your mind to the task at hand, than dwelling negatively on his success.
The key to these stress management techniques is to NOT take things personally. Don’t jump to conclusions about the other person’s attitude.
This is the first and foremost of preventive stress management techniques.
If you have difficulty in trying to quieten the negative chatter inside your head, try self hypnosis audios to help you end your negative thinking.
