Avoid negative thoughts of powerlessness, dejection, failure and despair. Chronic stress makes us vulnerable to negative suggestion. Learn to focus on positives.
Focus on your strength
Learn from the stress you are under.
Look for opportunities in the stressful situation.
Seek out the positive-make a change.
Here is the way to get out of the destructive negative thinking habits.
All possible situations we face can be classified into two categories:
Situations where we can do something about to change the outcome. In this case, don’t just sit there and worry about it. Go ahead and take care of it. You have control on it. Procrastination is the root cause for many stressful episodes.
Situations on those you have no control on. In this case sitting and worrying about it is not going to make any difference in the outcome. So, don’t worry about it. Let the situation resolve by itself; you cannot do anything about this anyway. The key to moving on is forgiveness of self and others.
Future
Although it is a waste of energy to worry about future events over which we have no control, it is human nature to do so. Plan and prioritise as best you can and then be easy on yourself. The future hasn’t happened and the past is not going to happen again.
Get organized/time management
One of the most common causes of stress is being disorganized at work or at home. Here are some tips to get organised:
Keep a diary. Write lists of tasks to accomplish prioritise them and schedule when you will complete them.
Writing down objectives, duties and activities helps to make them more tangible and doable. Having a schedule also helps you provide the facts when your boss asks you to perform unreasonable tasks. They may have no idea that you are overwhelmed with work and the additional responsibilities cannot be accomplished unless something else goes. Again, prioritising tasks helps you to minimize the stressful situations.
Make a list and prioritise
So many projects, so little time. To beat stress, you have to learn to prioritise. At the start of each day, pick the single most important task to complete, and then finish it. If you’re a person who makes to-do lists, never write one with more than five items. That way, you’re more likely to get all the things done and you’ll feel a greater sense of accomplishment and control. Then you can go ahead and make a second five-item list. While you’re at it, make a list of things that you can delegate to co-workers and family members.
Learn to say ‘no’ when appropriate
Sometimes you have to learn to draw the line. Stressed out people often can’t assert themselves. Instead of saying ‘I don’t want to do this’ or ‘I need some help,’ they do it all themselves. Then they have even more to do.
Give your boss a choice. Give your boss a choice. Say, I’d really like to take this on, but I can’t do that without giving up something else. Which of these things would you like me to do. Most bosses can take the hint. The same strategy works at home, with your spouse, children, relatives and friends.
If you have trouble saying ‘no’, start small. Tell your hubby to make his own sandwich. Or tell your daughter to find another ride home from volleyball practice. Pad your schedule. Realize that nearly everything will take longer than you anticipate. By allotting yourself enough time to accomplish a task, you cut back on anxiety. In general, if meeting deadlines is a problem, always give yourself 20 percent more time than you think you need to do the task.
Ventilation
People who keep things for themselves without sharing with their friends or loved ones carry a considerable and unnecessary burden. Share your problems and concern with others. Develop a support system of relatives, colleagues or friends to talk to when you are upset or worried. When you are frustrated write it down. After you have vent the frustration, destroy the writing so that it is forgotten. Re-reading the journal will reawaken the frustration and anger. So, do not keep it.
Seek social support. Studies have shown that close, positive relationships with others facilitate good health and morale. One reason for this is that support from family and friends serves as a buffer to cushion the impact of stressful events. Talking out problems and expressing tensions can be incredibly helpful.
Laughter therapy
Humour is a wonderful stress reducer and antidote to upsets. It is clinically proven to be effective in combating stress, although the exact mechanism is not known. Experts say a good laugh relaxes tense muscles, speeds more oxygen into your system and lowers your blood pressure. So time into your favourite sitcom on television. Read a funny book. Call a friend and chuckle for a few minutes. It even helps to force a laugh once in a while. You’ll find your stress melting away almost instantly.
Laughter therapy is turning out to be the most successful stress buster. Laughter stimulates the immune system, off-setting the immuno-suppressive effects of stress.
We know that, during stress, the adrenal gland releases corticosteroids (quickly converted to cortisol in the blood stream) and that elevated levels of these have an immuno-suppressive effect. Laughter can lower cortisol levels and thereby protect our immune system.
The emotions and moods we experience directly affect our immune system. A sense of humour allows us to perceive and appreciate the incongruities of life and provides moments of joy and delight. These positive emotions can create neurochemical changes that will buffer the immunosuppressive effects of stress.
A belly laugh is really good for you. It relieves muscular tension, improves breathing, and regulates the heartbeat. Watch comedy shows and laugh. Or attend comedy shows. Read comics or humour books. Share funny episodes with your spouse so that both can relieve stress as well improve communication between the two of you.
Other Tips on Time Management
Look at the way you do things. Are you a perfectionist? If so, try to decide which tasks truly require meticulous attention to detail and which can be done casually.
Make a realistic list of what you need to accomplish in a given day, with the most important things at the top. Tackle them one at a time, and don’t start a second until you have finished the first. Plan your day to include work breaks which physically or mentally take you away from the office. Try not to bring office work home. When you have several things to accomplish, set priorities and postpone less important tasks. Learn to delegate matters that cannot be put off. Deal with concerns on a day-at-a-time basis. Control the timing of stressful events. Try not to make major decisions when you are overtired or anxious.
