We all have those “things” in our life that stress us out from day to day. Sometimes, we find there is one thing that just stuns us so hard that we feel we can’t move forward. It’s different for each of us. Maybe it’s a relationship, work, spiritual, mentally, physically, medical, substance use, or financially. Whatever “it” is that takes hold of us and can be paralyzing to a point that we feel hopeless.
Maybe there’s a stressor you’re going through right now. Maybe it’s a burden that’s been going on for weeks, months or even years. Imagine what life would look like if that stress was gone. What feelings would come over you if you found resolve. It’s easy to lose sight of positive feeling that brings you hope when you are tangled in the web of stress.
There are defiantly different strategies you can consider that will bring you out of this web. Things that will significantly help you overcome the burdens in your life that are paralyzing. It’s time to stop putting energy into worrying and start investing that energy into yourself. It’s time to stop being controlled from your stress and start to take control back.
| Causes/Types of Stress | Ways to Cope with Stress |
| Work-related pressure | Practice deep breathing exercises |
| Relationship conflicts | Maintain a balanced and healthy diet |
| Academic demands | Practice mindfulness and meditation |
| Health issues | Seek social support from friends and family |
| Major life changes | Prioritize self-care activities |
| Time management challenges | Set realistic goals and prioritize tasks |
| Uncertainty and unpredictability | Engage in hobbies and recreational activities |
| Information overload | Practice time management techniques |
| Personal expectations and Perfectionism | Seek professional help or counseling |
| Lack of control or powerlessness | Establish and maintain boundaries |
| Environmental stressors (noise, pollution) | Get enough sleep and rest |
| Emotional challenges (grief, anger, anxiety) | Journaling or expressive writing |
| Social pressures (peer pressure, societal norms) | Practice relaxation techniques (e.g., progressive muscle relaxation) |
| Technology and social media overload | Limit screen time and digital detoxes |
| Burnout from work or caregiving | Practice self-compassion and self-care |
| Traumatic experiences | Seek therapy or counseling |
| Overwhelming responsibilities | Delegate tasks and ask for help when needed |
| Lack of work-life balance | Establish clear boundaries between work and personal life |
| Perceived lack of support or isolation | Join support groups or engage in social activities |
| Perfectionism and fear of failure | Practice self-acceptance and focus on progress rather than perfection |
| Financial planning and debt management | Create a budget and seek professional financial advice |
| Chronic pain or illness | Engage in relaxation techniques (e.g., progressive muscle relaxation) |
| Overcommitting or saying yes to everything | Learn to say no and prioritize self-care |
| Unhealthy coping mechanisms (substance abuse, unhealthy eating) | Seek professional help and consider healthier alternatives |
| Discrimination or societal injustice | Seek support from advocacy groups and engage in self-education |
| Feeling overwhelmed by social expectations | Set boundaries and prioritize your own well-being |
| Inadequate sleep or poor sleep quality | Practice good sleep hygiene and establish a relaxing bedtime routine |
The following are ways you will help you break down the stressors in your life even if you only consider them, take some type of action and don’t be hard on yourself when you feel you are failing.
Start preparing for the change. (Do your homework)
Making a change is a difficult task but good thing come to those who work hard. Think about school and how it was a process. It was a progression that included hundreds of little steps before you got to the result of graduation/completion. The process was classroom work, to homework and then tests. So, conquering stressors, it’s not much different, you must work at it.
Do your homework. Starting off, one way this is achieved is by get things out of your head and putting them on paper. When things are moved out of our mind and written down, they become more real. When things become more real, we can begin to organize them in a way that our mind can’t.
One example might be if you are struggling with finances, you can write down your budget so you can see what you really have. Doing your homework can also be doing research like searching the internet to see how other people cope with the same or similar problems. Find other people that have gone through the same things and see how they navigated through to the other side.
This entire step is about gathering information. This step can decrease stress by helping you feel more in control. Information, knowledge, understanding and wisdom will help you feel like more of an expert than a beginner of the topic. So, when you are caught in this fog that stress produces it’s important to do your homework and seek the clarity you have been missing to help you regain some control over the situation.
Act even if you think it won’t make much of a difference.
Action may sound like a scary word but even taking smallest of steps are action. When you think back to the school situation above just showing up is a small step to this process and an extremely important move. If you show up every day, then you will be closer to your goal of completion. Now it does take more than just that to achieve most goals and conquer stressors but taking that first step is like breaking the ice.
Acting makes a difference. The idea behind acting is all those small steps you take will help you build momentum. Momentum is vital to dealing with stress. Solutions to stress are typically smaller steps build upon each other.
Also, consider that you don’t have to be prepared one hundred percent to act. Sometimes battling your stress is simply about trial and error. Self-reflect, if one action doesn’t work keep trying don’t give up. Something is bound to eventually work out. If you struggle with this step, go back to preparation, and seek more clarity about what else you could try.
Sometimes stress creates a condition inside of us like urgency. This urgency typically translates into worry anxiety depression and tension inside our bodies. We get into this assuming the worst thinking and it drags us down. Even the smallest action can challenge assuming the worst and the condition of urgency. Take pride in the small battles that you win. Again, conquering stress takes small steps which eventually build momentum and lead to a better resolution and ultimately to a better version of self.
Don’t be hard on yourself.
Be kind to yourself when you are battling your stress. Stress has already been winning the fight and it has taken a toll on your body and mind. Your probably exhausted from the weight stress has put on you. Consider, you’re a survivor and you are a responsible person and will make a responsible decision regarding your stress.
We know assuming the worst has taken its toll beating us down. Consider the opposite of thinking “the worse is going to happen” which is “assuming the best.” I know this isn’t always easy especially when we have been losing the fight for so long but when you really think about it what else can happen when you assume the best.
Consider in the moment that you been through tougher things in your life, and this is just another obstacle. I’m not trying to downplay the stress but there is a better outlook. There is always hope. Which might be cliché to some but that’s exactly why it is cliché, hope is real. We all need to find ways to take care of our body and minds.
Conclusion
Don’t forget to self-care. Because it’s vital to our sanity. Stress puts us in a routine of discomfort and confusion. We need to take time out. We need to get away from it and let our minds process without us. I’ve always found benefit after a good night sleep my mind has relaxed and rested and new thinking to stress arise. So just remember if you want to tackle the number one stressor in your life (or stress in general) get prepared to even the playing field, act even if you feel it won’t make a difference and don’t be hard on yourself.
The following is a list of Types/Causes for stress and a ways to consider coping with them. It’s not a one size fits all but it may help generate ideas. We all need to find what works for us.
If you like what you have read, check out other articles on the website ThinkingDeeplySelf-Critically.com the site is designed to give us tools and techniques to help us become the best version of ourselves. There are four main categories on the site. The Foundation, Our Responsibility to Us, Our Responsibility to Others and Facilitating Crisis. We can also be found on Pinterest.
