Have you ever been tense about something, just to have your kids misbehave? Have you ever been late and misplace your keys? Have you ever wondered about why, when you’re already stressed, the stress seems to pile on?
The reason is that we accumulate stress as we move through situations. Each additional stressor piles on to the original stress level and amplifies what we are already feeling. But there is a way to keep that from happening:
The 5 Ways To Ramp Down Your Stress Level
- Be aware of your stress level. In order to prevent stress from getting out of control, you must be aware of it. Get in the habit of asking yourself how stressed you are.
- Assess your stress. If you find yourself coming apart at the seams, ask why. Ask yourself if this is really something to work yourself up about.
- Notice additional stressors. When we are stressed, everything will seem magnified. The background whining of a two year old can set our teeth on edge on a good day, but will be more difficult to tune out when we are stressed. Things you could normally overlook are brought to the forefront by your already amplified stress level.
- Breathe. To back down the stress level, put a few deep breaths in between something happening and your reaction. This can be hard to do, but it is possible with practice.
- React proportionately. React to the events as solitary events. The spilled milk might seem like a disaster after a really bad day. But it is, after all, only spilled milk.
What it really boils down to is the trite saying, “Don’t sweat the small stuff”. If you can handle the additional stressors gracefully, you will be a less stressed and much happier person.
