Stress Management

The Value Of Stress Management

Never underestimate the value of stress management. While that phrase may 
seem like something you would hear about on a company retreat, taught by 
some third-rate guru who you barely listen to, it is actually a genuine 
thing. And a necessary one. Even the most stoic of individuals would be 
pressed to never succumb to stress. Family issues, work problems, money 
matters: these things can quickly add up, making it seemingly impossible to 
get anything done. You may find yourself unable to concentrate, thoughts all 
focused on issues you can’t control or, at least, see no way to control. 
These are the times when stress management is vital.

And we are not talking about that cliche of counting to ten and taking deep 
breaths. That, to put it simply, is never enough. Stress management comes in 
when times are difficult and you feel overwhelmed. A few deep breaths will 
not solve those kinds of problems; they may only work at keeping you from 
hyperventilating, which is a goo thing, of course, but it does not deal with 
your other issues. You need to learn how to calm yourself down, gain focus 
and keep yourself from losing perspective. To do this, you need to learn 
stress management.

Again, we are not saying to buy into the ideas of counting and deep 
breathing. While they may work for smaller situations, they mean little in 
the larger ones, unless you happen to have enough time to count that long. 
That is doubtful, though. Instead, you need to work toward faster stress 
management; this means using techniques that are proven to give you the 
focus and clarity you need.

One of these is to remember that all situations end. You will not be 
permanently frozen in this state. We all have a tendency to exaggerate 
situations, no matter how bad they are to already begin with. Secondly, 
understand what your body is telling you. Ignoring stress is the worst thing 
you can do. Do not put this of. The basis of stress management is to 
understand stress and then work toward fixing it. You can’t do that if you 
are refusing to even admit you have a problem.

Next, work toward the short-term. What can you immediately fix? You will 
relieve much stress if you can get rid of some of the factors. Do what is 
fastest first. Then you can work toward the more difficult issues without so 
much to deal with. Little things can make a huge impact and, with proper 
stress management, you will quickly realize that.

Stress management also means knowing what things make you less worried. What 
hobbies, activities or projects can you do to alleviate some of the 
nervousness? Find these as they will help you burn off excess energy and, by 
doing that, can give you proper focus. Many cite exercise as an excellent 
way to clear minds. You need to do what works for you, though.

This is not about eliminating stress; there’s no way to do that. But you can 
tackle it one project at a time and get everything done.