Learn Positive Ways to Deal with Stress

Jianglin Liu

Whether you are in school or at work, some projects and tasks will inevitably cause you stress. When we encounter these stressful situations, it is important to remember that the causes of stress are mostly internal and depend on the context. Stress is manageable, and we can control and understand it through cognitive evaluation.

Take this example as a way to better understand stress. Imagine there is a man at a zoo. When he sees the tiger, he will not feel stress because the tiger is in a cage and will not be able to harm him. However, if he sees an animal in the wild that he has never seen before, he may feel scared because he does not know if it is harmful. So, whether we perceive something as serious, a threat, or just a lot of work, those perceptions directly affect our stress levels.

Some other aspects that affect the way we process stress include personality traits, our understanding of ourselves, our ability to cope, self-expectations, and previous experiences. Psychology tells us that we should learn scientific methods to reduce stress and enhance our mental health when facing all kinds of stress.

A positive mental attitude is not about looking in the mirror every day and saying, “I am the best.” This is a negative mindset because it’s a form of self-deception. A positive mental attitude is about stability. It’s not a fleeting impulse driven by emotion but is cultivated through practice and exercise.

Stress and its symptoms are eliminated not by the things you do, but by the way you think. By growing mentally stronger, you are also reinforcing the ways you can reduce stress.

1. Lower your standards

Everyone has different expectations for themselves, and the higher the standards, the more stress they will feel. Standards that are too high will often overwhelm us. So learn to lower the bar, do the best you can, and evaluate your abilities accurately. Be realistic about your expectations and those of others to avoid anxiety.

2. Put yourself in others’ shoes

This method mainly applies to interpersonal relationships. When you encounter an unpleasant relationship experience, try to put yourself in the other person’s position and think about it from their perspective. Your feelings will be different. Perspectivetaking means that we recognize and understand the feelings of others. The ability to put ourselves in others’ shoes is important because when our colleagues or family members realize that we understand their perspective and empathize with them, they have confidence that we will treat them fairly and with respect. When communicating with colleagues and family, we can take the following steps to put ourselves in others’ shoes: listen and do not interrupt their train of thought, speak slowly when giving advice, and incorporate other’s ideas.

3. Relax moderately

Learn to relax. Take a vacation when you can, talk to a friend, or relax for a few days in a different environment. Learn to be content and happy with what you can achieve.

4. Choose your method

There is a way to do everything in order of importance. Do not wait until the last minute just because you don’t want to deal with your stress. Do an assignment in advance, prioritize, and choose the right work method for you so that you can be as organized as possible.

5. Apply stress

We should view stress correctly and learn to use it. Moderate stress can improve our efficiency, make us more positive, and foster progress. The work environment is full of different opportunities for stress to arise. There is the worry about work that can’t be completed, worry about a public image, and so much more. But the greater the stress, the higher the possibility of health implications This requires people to learn to relax, control life, moderate stress, and maintain physical and mental health.

Motivated employees are more likely to use anxiety to help them achieve focus, and employees with higher emotional intelligence can recognize their anxiety and use it to regulate their performance. Moreover, employees who are good at what they do are less likely to let anxiety affect their performance.

Stress is nothing to be afraid of. It is your thoughts and opinions that destroy you. So don’t let it get the best of you and find a way to face what you fear.