Tackling One Stressor at a Time
These days many of us have a multitude of both personal and professional stressors. So, when we get advice from a friend, family member or colleague to try to manage our stress, we don’t even know where to start.
But with 60%-90% of visits to primary care physicians being a result of stress related conditions, as well as the negative impact this stress has on our happiness and well-being, we must start somewhere.
One way to do this is to make a list of the sources of stress in your life and then identify strategies to eliminate or at least reduce them. But one sure-fire recipe for failure is trying to tackle too many of these stressors at once. Your best chance of success is to focus on one at a time, using the following process.
Take out a sheet of paper and a pen.
List as many of the stressors in your life as you can think of, no matter how big or small.
Rank the stressors from the one that is causing you the most anxiety and harm, to the one that is impacting you the least.
Focusing on the top stressor, identify one small step you can take to reduce that source of stress in your life, even just a little bit. For example:
Too many commitments? Make a commitment to yourself to say no to the next request you receive from someone else (unless it is a true emergency or an incredible opportunity of course!)
Caring for a sick loved one? Ask a friend or family member to help out for an hour or two while you go for a walk, get a massage or visit with another friend or family member
Unfulfilling and frustrating job? Identify another one you might be a better fit for and submit an application
Complete that small step within the next 24 hours.
Continue working on that stressor until it is either completely eliminated (if possible) or no longer in the top 5 stressors in your life.
Once you’ve done that, go back to step 1 to begin working on your new top stressor.
This process avoids the overwhelming feeling we may get, or tendency to freeze and do nothing, when we try to just “manage our stress” overall. It gives us a process to follow and a small doable action step to move us in the right direction. Small step by small step is the key to success and a lasting impact on our health and well-being.
Want to Learn More? Know Someone Who Could Benefit From a Stress Management & Resiliency Program?
We have sessions of the PART Resiliency Training Program starting soon or contact us today to learn how we can bring the PART Program to your company or organization.