Prevent Stress

stressed So much of the stress we experience is self-induced. We create it though our own action or lack thereof. If you’d like to prevent stress or dramatically reduce its frequency or intensity follow five simple rules.

1. End Procrastination-In college I waited until the night before my economics exam to begin studying. I started getting tired so I took no doze caffeine pills to stay awake so I could study all night. By 5am I was shaking and I thought I was having a heart attack. I came to find out that I had a panic attack. It was caused by the combination of stress and caffeine. That was the end of procrastination (and caffeine pills) for me. The thought of repeating that experience was enough to make me never do it again. Put simply, procrastination causes stress. If you want to prevent stress, don’t push the envelope by waiting until the last minute. Chunk away at your tasks so they don’t turn into last minute fire drills.

2. Let go of what you can’t control—There are certain things in life that we can control. There are many others we cannot. Stop trying to control the uncontrollable and let go. There is no point in worrying about things that you have no influence over. I could worry about a hurricane that’s about to hit the state of Florida or I can focus on controlling what I can. I can put shutters on my house to protect my belongings. I can take my family out of the area, and stay in a hotel. What I can’t influence is the trajectory of the storm. This is where I have to let go.

3. Stop overcommitting yourself. I see people at work at get stressed all the time because they have too much on their plate. Learn to say no and if it’s not possible, get good at soliciting the help of others.

4. Get things out of your mind and onto paper. The more you try to keep items you must do in your mind, the more stressed you will be. I can’t tell you how many nights I’ve laid awake thinking about everything I had to do the next day. The fear of forgetting something important is stressful. The solution, write them down. I now sleep with my iPhone next to my bed. When something comes into my mind, I create a note or put it on my to do list. I no longer have to worry about forgetting it. I prevent stress and I am able to go back to sleep.

5. Get Organized—Disorganization is stressful. There’s nothing worse than walking into your office on Monday morning and having papers everywhere. You can’t find what you need, things are out of control, and you’re working in chaos. I will admit that I am not always a member of the clean desk club, but when I take the time to get organized it drops my stress level considerably. I just feel better. Staying organized allows me to prevent stress.

What if the stressor gets to you even after you put up a good defense? First ask yourself what you can do at this moment to alleviate it? Take the required action. If there is nothing you can do, release it from your mind. Resist the need to commiserate with others over it and just let go. Focus your thoughts on something more positive. Your goal is to not allow the stress to build in your mind. You have the ability to create stress. You also have the ability to prevent stress. All it takes is a modest amount of discipline and the creation of a few good habits.