A Beginner’s Guide to Reducing Stress
The more responsibilities you have, the more stress builds up. If you want to improve workplace culture and be an effective leader, you’ll need to learn how to manage stress and handle tasks without buckling under the pressure.
By managing stress effectively, you’ll become more productive and meet your goals with less friction along the way. Here are my top seven tips to reduce stress.
1. Uncover the true nature of stress
“Calmness is the cradle of power.” – Josiah Gilbert Holland
As you learn how to reduce stress in life, you’ll get better at clearly identifying your problems. According to the Free Medical Dictionary, pressure is a normal response to anything that disrupts your body’s natural physical, emotional, or mental balance.
Any time you’re placed outside of your comfort zone, stress will naturally occur. As we strive and grow, however, it’s often important to face uncomfortable situations. Learning to manage stress will empower you to go outside of your comfort zone without getting overwhelmed.
2. Use productivity techniques to take care of your responsibilities more efficiently
Reducing stress offers benefits that go far beyond improvements to your state of mind. If you learn how to handle stress properly, you’ll also be able to take care of more responsibilities without becoming overwhelmed. Here are a few simple techniques you can use to reduce stress while improving productivity:
• Work outside by taking your calls during a walk or inviting clients to your favorite golf course.
• Plan out tomorrow’s schedule before you go to bed tonight.
• Make time to hit the gym before or after work.
• Break up the day with hands-on tasks that don’t tax your mind.
• Remove clutter from your workspace.
3. Harness the power of meditation to reduce stress naturally
The latest neuroscience research confirms that meditation can reduce stress and promote mental clarity. This includes traditional meditation practices and informal mindfulness, which involves being more attentive and engaged during activities. According to the Pacific Neuroscience Institute, a 2014 scientific review found that meditation leads to “reduced anxiety, depression, stress, pain and improved quality of life.”
4. Identify the early signs of stress
Stress becomes less manageable; the longer you let it run your life. Notice signs of stress as soon as they appear, it will be easier to take proactive measures that get your mind back on the right track. Common symptoms of stress include:
• Difficulty concentrating and memory problems
• Depression, anxiety, or moodiness
• Aching muscles, gastrointestinal distress, or loss of libido
• Overeating or not eating enough
• Sleeping too much or not sleeping enough
5. Take notes from relevant case studies
It’s good to consider some success stories when developing stress-reducing strategies. Do you know any professionals who always seem levelheaded and in control? If you can, ask them about their methods. Chances are that they, too, must deal with stress regularly. However, successful individuals often develop excellent mental resilience.
For many people, increasing mental resilience often involves facing fears, becoming more open to failure, and not focusing so much on always being right. However, it’s also wise to create consistent routines and stick to them. Try to make more room for gratitude and curiosity in your life while also striving to find the positive side of experiences.
6. Understand that you’re not alone
Statistics show that stress is remarkably prevalent in contemporary workplaces. According to a 2017 Statista survey, 62% of adults under 30 experience stress daily, and 55% of adults between the ages of 30 and 59 also reported that they commonly suffer from stress.
Just because stress is common doesn’t mean you have to stick with the herd. With proper coaching, you can rise above the norm and enjoy reducing stress benefits.
7. Follow a step-by-step process
Overcoming stress involves a systematic series of steps. Start incorporating the following techniques to begin the process of kicking stress out of your life:
• Reduce or eliminate using alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine.
• Exercise and sleep more.
• Take control of your life by learning to say “no.”
Start busting stress to succeed today
In my work with the Leonard Productivity Intelligence Institute, I’ve worked with many clients who have problems with stress. I know that learning how to relieve stress is only half the battle. You’ll need to put stress-reducing principles into practice to experience the benefits of a more relaxed lifestyle. Reach out to me today to learn more about how my coaching services could help you improve productivity. Every day that your stress keeps you down is another day you haven’t used to its full potential.
