You're scrolling through social media and somebody says something you vehemently disagree with...and you suddenly begin to get "hot under the collar" so to
speak.
Or...
Someone at work suddenly appears very ill or is hurt and you're so frazzled and upset that you don't know what to do.
Or...
You are in an interview for a new job or at a doctor's appointment, and you're so anxious that it feels as if your
heart is going to pound right out of your chest.
There are many situations in life that could cause us to feel stressed, nervous, angry, sad...or any of the emotions that cause us to get
overwhelmed.
Here's what you can do, no matter how stressful the situation is, to get back to a calm state so that you can better tackle whatever you're trying to
accomplish.
1. Count, breathe, and affirm your capability. I really like this very effective sequence of TO DOs. First, begin counting to 10. As you reach each number,
intersperse it with a deep breath and an affirmation, "I can handle this," or "I am strong." In other words, say "1," then breathe, then affirm, then say "2" then breathe, then affirm, and so on.
2. Get your body moving. If you can remove yourself from the stressful situation at hand, do so. And then get your body moving to "work off" that stress. Go for a walk, swimming, or to the gym. Allow your body to work off that negative energy.
My daughter was in a lot of piano recitals when she was younger. Her teacher suggested that she lightly jog up and down the staircase, a number of times, before going on stage. It worked every time to help relax her nerves.
3. Determine if it's really worth your time. So much of the time, it's not the situation that's causing us stress, but our own selves allowing us to be stressed by the situation. There are so many things that can stress us out that are not worthy of the time we're devoting to it.
4. Talk to someone who is always calm under pressure. In doing so, you'll be able to vent about what is bothering you, which is a good stress release in itself. In addition, this person may come up with a few different
angles that you may not have even considered to help release some of your tension.
5. Learn about CPR, first aid, survival tactics, and other emergency responses. If you
keep up to date on how to recognize common health issues (heart attack, stroke, diabetic reactions, epileptic reactions, bloody noses, etc.) as well as common safety issues (someone looks sketchy on the subway, a person is arguing with the cashier at a grocery store, a large crowd of people are gathering for a protest, etc.), you'll be better able to stay calm because you'll have been "trained" or at least are "familiar" with what you can do to help or what actions you can take to remove
yourself from the situation.
It's the "not knowing" that often causes the most stress and anxiety. Take classes, watch online videos, and read books on these topics so you know what to do
in various emergency (or potential emergency) situations.
6. Distract yourself. Sometimes our anxiety goes into overdrive when we're waiting in anticipation of something.
I'm always a bit anxious, for instance, when I'm waiting for the result of a mammogram, or right before a dental procedure.
So I always have something available to read to divert my focus
from whatever I'm waiting for to something else that I'm interested in. I like to read about possible vacation destinations or book reviews about books I've already read.
Something that a
friend of mine uses to distract herself when necessary...word puzzles.
Another action is to mentally transport yourself to your favorite place. Let's say that's the beach. Allow
yourself to "hear" the waves and the sea gulls, "smell" the salty air, "taste the frozen custard they sell on the boardwalk, and "feel" your feet in the warm sand.
7. Apply
pressure. Stress balls are great tools for helping to instill calm. When you feel your heart rate going up, squeeze the ball. If you don't have a stress ball with you, gently press one of your finger nails into your skin...not too hard; just to crease a pressure point.
8. Don't starve or dehydrate yourself. There are many people who get so stressed out that they forget to (or decide not to) eat or even drink water. There's one thing that is guaranteed to make stress and anxiety worse, and that is not fueling/hydrating your body. Always have water to drink and something nutritious to nibble on.
