A fast pace, instant gratification, globalisation, technology advancements, disbalance, and unhealthy natural environment… All of these things are our reality and all of these are causing us immense stress. If you aren’t suffering from a chronic illness, but you are experiencing symptoms such as fatigue, headache, loss of appetite, insomnia, and stomachache… Well, chances are there is nothing wrong with you, except that you are under too much stress.
Of course, a certain amount of stress is normal, nobody is saying it isn’t. The pressure, the rush, the rise in adrenaline, all of those things are parts of normal human behaviour and they shouldn’t lead to a decline in your mental or physical health. The issue arises when the levels are too high and we don’t have a healthy mechanism of coping. Our body goes into defence mode, and nothing gets done.
In most cases, we can’t control our environment. Especially things such as traffic jams, screaming relatives, tax increases… And that is especially true when it comes to our professional life and career. So, what can we control? Ourselves. There are many useful methods you can use in order to not only eliminate stress, but also make yourself way better when faced with it. Take a look.
Nurture a Healthy Feedback Culture Everywhere
Research has proven that poor communication is a significant cause of stress. When you are not being listened, to, when your colleagues are rude and defensive, when there is no free flow of information only blame and guilt are exchanged. All of these are making your head hurt, literally.
How can feedback help with that? Feedback techniques teach people how to express themselves in a non-hurtful way. It creates a space for opening yourself up, giving and receiving constructive criticism and learning how to communicate in every possible situation. When it comes to your professional life, a healthy feedback culture will tremendously reduce your stress levels.
Practice Empathy, Kindness, and Tolerance — For Yourself First
When we try to improve our everyday life, we start with increasing our understanding of the people around us. That is a very significant and important step. But there is one before it, which is implementing all of that on ourselves first.
When we fail at something, we feel miserable. We yell at ourselves, berate ourselves, curse… We practice more kindness for strangers than we do for ourselves. And when we increase those stress levels, with no external help, we go and release all of that negativity on our coworkers. And the vicious game of hot potato with stress continues. Be kind to everyone, including yourself, and your health will follow.
Hire a Financial Advisor and Relieve the Biggest Cause of Stress
A very recent survey has revealed that money is the absolute biggest cause of stress, followed by a lot of other factors. There is no way to absolutely eliminate this factor from the equation, as if it were an annoying distant relative at the annual Christmas party. You need to deal with money every day, privately and professionally as well.
Most people, even when they know that they are making the wrong decision, can’t help themselves. Which is why hiring a financial advisor should be your starting point. Not only will you relieve yourself of the stress you are constantly faced with, but your financials will be healthier as well. Admitting that you need help is the first step to recovery, and when it comes to money… Don’t we all?
Remove Yourself from a Situation You Are Currently Unable to Control
Even if you implement every possible strategy, idea, and tip, you might still find yourself completely overwhelmed. If you are having trouble catching your breath, your head is pulsing, and you are unable to control the wave of emotions hitting you… It is time to excuse yourself. Whether it is a feedback session, staff meeting, or a fight in the middle of the hallway about some minuscule detail, you are allowed to excuse yourself.
You can retract, gather your thoughts, catch your breath and go back in when you are ready. You might burst into tears, start yelling or even faint. There are a thousand ways your body can react to stress and you won’t have the time to stop it, nor the power. In addition to this, if your environment is a long string of situations you need to excuse yourself from, perhaps you should consider completely changing your environment.
Your position, your team, your department… Even your company. Not everyone fits everywhere, and calling it quits is way better than working yourself to the bone, for you and for your company. The most important thing then is to carefully assess your new environment and to work on yourself in order to increase your ability to deal with situations that are out of your control.
