The end of the old and start of the new year is one of the most difficult times at both work and home. That is why it definitely won’t be a bad idea if we present verified tips for handling an increased level of stress. Psychologist and Director of the Motivation Science Center at the American Columbia University Business SchoolHeidi Grant Halvorson summarized several of these tips in an article published by the Harvard Business Review website. She claims that successful people beat stress by doing the following:
They have compassion for themselves
Don’t think that you must be hard on yourself to succeed. Conversely, you actually need to be able to view your problems and mistakes without excessive criticism and without being too defensive. Remind yourself that to err is human and be a little kinder to yourself.
They are able to see the bigger picture
If you want to overcome stress from a certain smaller event, try to view it in the context of its broader meaning. So something that may appear unimportant to us at first may as a result get a whole new meaning. View things positively. For example “This will help my career” sounds much better than “I’ll have to answer emails for an hour.”
They stick to stereotypes
Most people are not aware of how stressful it is for us to make decisions, which we have to do many times every day. The solution is to decrease the number of decisions that you have to make by using stereotypes. So if for example there is something you have to do every day, always do it at the same time.
They find ten minutes to do something they are interested in
If you lack the energy for something you are doing, try to recharge by finding five or ten minutes to do something you are interested in. Studies confirm that this works. But this does not mean resting or necessarily having fun; you need to try something that will really be interesting for you, even if it’s difficult.
They plan when and where
Studies confirm that if you plan not only what but also when and where you will do it, the odds that you will manage it are up to three times higher. So try to take your to-do list and for each item add when and where you will do it.
They plan how they’ll act
Another technique for overcoming fear, sadness, fatigue or doubts is to consciously prepare for these situations. So the next time you see that your inbox is full of emails, you’ll know you’re supposed to tell yourself: “If I see a ton of emails, I’ll stay calm and relaxed.” That way you motivate yourself to think positively.
They are aware of their progress
If you don’t want to succumb to stress needlessly, don’t be a perfectionist. Be aware of what you have already accomplished and do not add additional motivation by needlessly thinking about what you did not manage to do.
They know whether optimism or pessimism helps them
It’s difficult to maintain a positive attitude in difficult situations. You should therefore consider thoroughly whether trying to maintain a positive attitude works for you. Some people are paradoxically more motivated by pessimism.
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